The Hearts of the Beasts: Event Horizons
by WingsOfTheYatagarasu
Summary: Called out to Meteor Falls by Interpol, Wallace is finally led closer to answers regarding where Steven might have vanished to two months prior. However, things aren't as they seem - Confronted by the mysterious Draconid from two years before, Wallace is told that continuing on their mission could have dire consequences in the end. (Prequel to The Hearts of the Beasts)
1. Chapter 1

_**Foreword:**_ _While this is a sidestory to The Hearts of the Beasts, reading it isn't required to understand the entire story. As this is going to be_ very _dark compared to the main story, please don't feel forced to read it, either - Sometimes, a story can be just too dark for folks. I completely understand. As much as I say that the story will become more optimistic, it's still at its darker parts right now, and things still seem pretty bleak. So once again, don't feel forced to read this - Not everyone can get through something this dark._

 _It is HIGHLY recommended that you have at least read to the end of chapter one of The Hearts of the Beasts before reading this!_

 ** _Content warnings:_** _Character d_ _eath, possession, violence, blood_

* * *

Wallace's eyes were locked on the numerous papers scattered over a polished rosewood desk - THEIR desk now, they reminded themself - as they sat down for their usual end-of-week routine. It'd been the same each week following the start of the year. Steven had trusted them to be Champion, after all, and flawed as they were, they'd been able to carry the League far, perhaps moreso than Steven had in recent years.

Regardless of how far they'd come...Nothing would make the more mundane aspects of the job more palatable. Steven had been a messy sort, Wallace recalled. Back when he'd been Champion, the small office beneath the Champion's room had been covered by scattered, ink-stained papers, as well as any number of things that the ex-Champion had needed to keep himself calm for a few more moments.

Steven had never seemed like the focused type, but he'd fared far better in the office than Wallace had.

Leaning back in the soft, aged leather chair that had been in the room since long before Steven had taken his post, Wallace wondered if it had been such a good idea in the first place to agree to Steven's deal. Being Champion...Even with the fame and adoring fans it'd brought them, things they wouldn't ever deny they loved, it'd had consequences, consequences that had spread a lingering sense of unease across all of Hoenn. Consequences that had hit nobody harder than they had hit the League's members. Consequences that no doubt signaled something worse to come.

Consequences that took the form of a clean and neatly-penned letter, addressed to Wallace Riva, arriving from one Joseph Stone.

So it had been true. A deep, shaky sigh escaped Wallace as they opened the envelope and tried to stop the rapid beat of their heart. This letter could only mean one thing.

Something had happened to Steven.

They'd thought it inevitable that _something_ would happen eventually, of course. Steven wasn't one to show restraint when it came to exploring the region's most secluded corners. He'd been off, two months before the letter's arrival, and that was it, he'd simply vanished.

Two months, and one month of searching between their League duties, searching for any sign of Steven after he'd departed for Meteor Falls for what should have been another simple expedition. A month of nothing but concern that _something_ had forced Steven to run off for so long.

Wallace held the letter gently between thin, almost _bony_ fingers. They stared down at it, the words barely registering in their mind at first. Everything seemed to be a blur, the only thing remaining in their mind being the room they sat in, the office with the same eggshell-white walls, the same desk, the same few books stacked on one side...It was as if Wallace was trying to convince themself that this was just a normal Friday night, that they hadn't just received a message that their dearest companion had potentially...

 _No._ Not yet. They couldn't assume he was dead at that point. Nobody could. Steven was a fighter, never once willing to lay down his weapons for any reason. Battle resonated across his skin, deep within his flesh and bone, flowing through his veins like a blazing wildfire. No matter how quiet he'd seemed, Steven was a wild beast, and he'd react as one the moment his life was truly in danger.

That was what Wallace told themself, at the very least. It hardly made the feeling of dread that plagued their mind any less prevalent, but they repeated it in their mind nonetheless, hoping that eventually they'd start to believe it more and more true, almost palpably so.

Wallace took a deep breath, forcing themself to focus in on the message itself. It was shorter that they'd expected it to be, but it said all it had to.

In a way, Wallace was reminded of Steven. Short and to the point, just enough that the next task could begin right after everything was finished. These two...They really were father and son.

If nothing else... _That_ was comforting.

 _Wallace,_ the letter began, _Thank you for your assistance in searching for what's become of Steven throughout this past month. I'm sending this to inform you that you're needed at Devon. It seems this situation is far more dire than we'd first thought - Interpol has requested your presence in Rustboro to discuss what's happening in detail._

 _This is as much as I'm allowed to say on the matter, regrettably. Interpol has also requested that this note be destroyed in any way possible once you've read this._

 _The meeting is planned to take place tomorrow, on August sixteenth, at ten-thirty AM. Arrive early - I was hoping to speak with you myself regarding these matters._

 _\- Joseph Stone_

It was brief, far moreso than anything Joseph usually sent. Had it been stress, perhaps? Stress over the fact that _Interpol_ had become involved, a telling sign that Steven was in _very_ real danger, if he hadn't been caught by said danger already.

An ache lingered in Wallace's chest.

They'd wished they could get used to it, but it seemed like the feeling would never fade. Stress followed them like a Skitty chasing its tail, stress over everything their mind could fixate on, creating six new problems for every one solved. In a way, _they_ were that Skitty, chasing these problems again and again without rest as if they'd finally gain a sense of control over the ever-uncertain future ahead of them.

As if it'd do anything to stand there, running in circles over and over until they finally tired themself out. It was the very _antithesis_ of progress, to not be able to bring themself to actually _take action._

It'd been the same thing, again and again. In that sense, perhaps, despite everything they'd told Steven…Wallace wondered if they were simply afraid of change in that regard. Had it been the crisis affecting them? Their new role as both Champion _and_ guardian? It'd been overwhelming, at first, having Hoenn in their hands - Though Hoenn would never know a thing. If there was anything Wallace had learned from being a performer, it was that _anyone_ would fall for a convincing enough smile.

Sighing, they picked up the bag they'd left beside their desk and slung it over their shoulder, stowing the letter away in it before stepping out of their office for the night and into the dark lower halls of the League, a hallway built much like those between the Elites' rooms above but containing what was perhaps the most important part of the League (namely, everyone's living quarters), the hall was eerily quiet that night. The lights had been shut off to allow everyone to get a little rest, and it seemed like everyone had turned in early on such a night.

Everyone except Phoebe, at least. The night was her domain; there was no doubt in Wallace's mind that she'd be _somewhere_ nearby, her watchful eye on the darkest corners of Ever Grande in case someone thought they could get _close_ to the place she'd devoted her life to.

The soft pattering of bare feet against a cold floor didn't surprise Wallace in the slightest. Turning around to face Phoebe, Wallace greeted her with a soft smile.

"Good evening, Phoebe," they said, "I take it something's come up for you to return so soon?"

Phoebe skidded to a halt, letting out a soft laugh at Wallace's question.

"Oh, no," she replied, "It's nothing like that at all. I think the summer heat finally got to me, though - I'm _exhausted,_ even at this hour."

Wallace shook their head, chuckling. Even if she was quite the night owl, Phoebe wasn't immune to whatever might be hitting her fellow Elites. It was good to know that even she'd felt exhausted now that late summer had hit Hoenn. It was enough to sap anyone's energy, and it'd hit the League particularly hard. (Save for Drake, though very little seemed to affect him as far as the weather went, and though it was certainly understandable for someone who'd been traveling the world as long as he had, it was hard for Wallace to not be a bit envious of such a fact.)

"Ahaha…Yes, it's been having that effect on us all, I'm sure." Wallace's tone was soft and airy as they spoke, though they couldn't tell if it was more to reassure those around them or whether they were trying to reassure themself. "I'd rest now if I could, but…"

"You're heading out again?" Phoebe concluded, "You don't have to worry about the League while we're here. Go on out and keep investigating - We're with you the whole way."

Oh, they _wished_ they could tell her more. _No, Phoebe, it's not as simple as you think, because suddenly Interpol,_ Interpol, _has taken interest, and even I'm not sure if I'll survive this one._

Wouldn't it be nice, they told themself, if they could just tell her more. Unfortunately, confidentiality was a fact of life when it came to Interpol's affairs - As far as anyone was concerned, when they came out of this one, Wallace would have simply found Steven, alive or not, on their own.

 _If_ they found Steven this time.

Wallace bowed before beginning to turn away.

"Thank you, Phoebe," they breathed, "I'll need all the luck I can get this time. If I need any of you at all, I'll be sure to call you over."

"Of course…Wallace?" Phoebe's words suddenly decrescendoed into barely a whisper. "We're counting on you. Please…Please bring Steven back."

There was a hint of desperation in her voice, as if she was on the verge of finally giving up and admitting defeat. Admitting that Steven _had_ died.

Wallace would refuse to admit defeat at such a time, however.

"Of course. Good night, Phoebe."

With those final words, the two parted, one to stay at the League, the other to leave for what they'd hoped would be their last trip to Meteor Falls.

If he was even still there.

 _No,_ Wallace thought, _Interpol has found something. You_ must _put your trust in them._

 _Because, come what may, you_ will _come back to Ever Grande, and you_ will _bring Steven back with you. Everything…_

 _Everything will be_ fine.

Wallace slowly climbed the stairs of the Devon building, stifling a yawn. It'd been a long night simply making the trip to Rustboro on such short notice, and it'd practically left them dead on their feet. Though the fresh (if a little sterile) smell of the building was _wonderful_ compared to the filthy city air (they'd never be able to get used to it, not after they'd spent so many years in Sootopolis), it did nothing to ease Wallace's mind when the stakes had increased so dramatically.

Then again, didn't they _live_ for drama? For that vibrant, explosive ending to everything in their life, and for the glory that came with such victories?

No, they couldn't, not when there was a life, possibly _lives_ at stake.

It felt like an eternity before they stood in the president's office, staring, from across the room, straight into Joseph Stone's eyes. The lines of age rimmed his deep brown eyes, but his gaze was nonetheless attentive as he sat behind his desk, looking at Wallace with a grave expression.

To Wallace, it felt like Joseph's gaze pierced right through them like an arrow to the chest.

They began to approach his desk, only to stop when he stood up, gesturing for Wallace to sit down on one of the nearby sofas.

"It's good of you to have come," Joseph sighed, "I apologize for having to call for you on such short notice."

"There's no need to apologize," Wallace replied, sitting down on the northernmost sofa, "Any new information regarding the situation is welcome."

It was a lie, though hardly an obvious one - Wallace had always, after all, been quite the actor.

Joseph took his place on the opposite side of the table Wallace had sat at.

"I'm afraid," Joseph continued, "There may be a chance that we're searching for a body."

It was as if Wallace's chest had hit the ground. A _body?!_ That couldn't be right. Steven was always going to be a fighter. Wherever he'd gone, Wallace had believed for two months that he'd been _fine,_ and though they wanted to continue to believe such, the weight in Joseph's voice was enough to make them realize that maybe they were _wrong._ Maybe something _had_ taken Steven's life this time.

"I...What? S-Sir, please," Wallace stammered, "E-Explain. What might have…?"

Joseph lay his arms down on the table, folding his hands. He looked down, closing his eyes, his voice beginning to _break_ in a way Wallace had never once heard before. This was someone they'd known for _years,_ someone who had been like a second father to them long after their own had passed, yet the way the cracks began to show in his normally polite, professional demeanor...It was _new_ to them.

"I mean," Joseph breathed, "Interpol has reported the presence of an unknown Pokémon in Meteor Falls...A creature known as Nihilego. They've called it an Ultra Beast. Nihilego is parasitic, from what I understand. It takes hold of its hosts with a neurotoxin, stimulating their minds and bringing out their latent potential so that they'll protect it and only it. Though they're only chances…"

Joseph paused, taking a deep breath.

"According to the reports, we may be searching for the result of the chaos it's caused, or we may find that Steven is no longer the man we knew."

All instincts devoted to defending one creature...Or worse, _dead._ It'd provide an explanation for why he'd been gone for so long, yet both ideas...Even as Wallace was given a moment to digest such information, they could hardly believe it. Steven had been _Champion._ He'd been stronger than _anyone_ Wallace had known. He wasn't going out without a _violent_ fight.

"...Interpol's agents should be arriving soon." Joseph looked over to the western side of the room, finally opening his eyes. "Before then...Wallace. We're all depending on you now. If anyone can bring Steven back to us, it's you."

"Thank...Thank you, sir," Wallace whispered, "I won't let you down."

"Hoh...There's no need for such formality in such times. Call me what you always have."

Wallace nodded, trying to swallow the lump in their throat.

"Yes, of course...Mr. Stone. I'll come back with him. I swear on this."

Only two agents arrived. Their names were Anabel and Looker, and they sat on opposite sides of the table, with Anabel next to Wallace.

It'd given Wallace a chance to observe the agent. Her lavender hair, tied into a ponytail and cascading over her back, was expertly groomed. Wallace had been able to tell that much at a glance. However, what struck Wallace the most was Anabel's neck - Beneath the collar of her shirt, they could see a few streaks over her pale skin. _Scarring._ No doubt from previous missions, but no less unsettling in such a situation.

Wallace had heard much the same from Interpol's agents. Steven could be dead, Steven could have lost all sense of self. Steven could still be fine, if shaken. He could have left Meteor Falls, even if all supposed sightings of him had been in the area. _Something_ had happened to him, and while Interpol scoured the rest of the region, Wallace had been assigned to return to Meteor Falls.

"...This time," the head agent, Anabel, continued, "You'll have proper support, Riva. Looker and I are here to assist you in every way we can. If all goes as it should, we'll have found him from these sightings and come out without a single casualty."

"Indeed," Looker added on, "My arrival will not be for some time, however. I will be investigating the surroundings before entering the falls."

"Are your orders clear? You'll be provided with a headset," Anabel explained, "And you'll be in close contact with the two of us. Mr. Stone...We'll be contacting you from time to time throughout the mission. Is this acceptable?"

"Quite so," Joseph replied, "All of you...Thank you. Nothing has been more reassuring than knowing that my son's case is in your hands."

"That will be all, then," Anabel finished, "Riva...If you would. Please follow us out."

"Yessir," Wallace replied, immediately standing with the two agents, "Mr. Stone...I'll be back soon. Farewell for now."

Joseph had fallen silent once more, and nobody stayed to see if he'd speak up.

Not when there was so much at stake.

"Riva! Before we leave for Fallarbor, I must speak with you!"

Standing on the shores of Route 115, not a soul to be seen except themself and Looker, Wallace nearly jumped at the sound of the agent's voice.

"Ah, Looker," they replied, "Yes? Is there something you've failed to mention?"

Looker shook his head, stepping beside Wallace. Getting a closer look at him, Wallace wondered how long it'd been since he was last in the field - While there were scars across his neck and hands, they'd faded to the point that they were barely visible.

Yet the man had a single Poké Ball on him. Only one Pokémon, in stark contrast to their and Anabel's six each.

"There is something dire I have not mentioned." Looker kept his voice hushed as he looked to Wallace, narrowing his eyes. "My boss, she is not as she seems. Interpol calls her a Faller. The Beasts believe she is able to take them to their home dimension, and when they see her, they are immediately attracted to her presence."

 _Faller?_ This was the first Wallace had heard of the term. There had to be _some_ reason Anabel hadn't mentioned the term. Someone like her, she clearly wasn't the type to simply _forget_ such important details.

"...Please elaborate," Wallace replied, feeling the thick tension in the air, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I am telling you," Looker continued, "Because she is in danger if she gets too close. The Beasts, they aren't simply drawn to her. She is a target. They will attack if they see her, and I cannot imagine they would let up."

The idea of these creatures being _hostile_ in such a way...Wallace had only seen illustrations during the briefing. They couldn't imagine what sort of attacks Nihilego could strike with, but there was little doubt in their mind that it wouldn't be a pleasant way to go.

"You want me to protect her," Wallace concluded, "In the event she might be in danger."

"Indeed." Looker turned to the vast ocean ahead. "My boss...She is prone to overworking, even when it could mean death for her. Even if she is strong, she cannot stand up to the Beasts forever. If she has worked to exhaustion, you must stop her."

"I understand."

Wallace reached for one of the Poké Balls on the belt they were wearing. During such a time, their outfit for challenges would only get in the way. The most they'd brought from it was the long cape, which had been folded neatly in their bag. They'd opted for simple garb, even if the cropped top might have seem a bit impractical for such a situation. (It'd been unfortunate that they hadn't at least had a chance to take care of their laundry before leaving - Perhaps if they had, there wouldn't be so much exposed skin on them.) Without their hat, they'd been forced to tie their long hair back into a tightly-packed bun, and they hoped it wouldn't come undone any time soon.

It was so _odd._ They hardly looked as _formal_ as the agents they were working with. They'd had the chance to change into something casual back at Rustboro's Pokémon Center, and they'd taken it, but a part of them wondered if that was truly the best choice to make.

At the very least, Anabel being gone assured them that they weren't wasting precious time.

Tapping the button on their Milotic's ball, Wallace allowed the fish Pokémon to stretch out for a moment before she slithered into the water, cooing at them gently as she waited for them to climb onto her back.

"I'll see you soon, then, Looker. Farewell!"

Wallace climbed onto the back of their Milotic, who then turned towards the looming mountains ahead of her.

Without another sound, she began to swim forward, twenty feet of fish swaying gently in the water. Looking back, Wallace noticed Anabel appearing on the beach, talking with Looker about something. It didn't _seem_ important, not with the lack of surprise Looker seemed to be showing.

Turning back, Wallace closed their eyes, taking a deep breath. The salty tang of seawater filled their nostrils once more as Milotic began to swim faster through the calm waters.

It'd be a long, hard fight, but they wouldn't let themself fall during such a time.

They were needed in Meteor Falls. They'd fight this Nihilego if they had to. They'd do whatever it took to ensure that their mission was completed, that they could go back to Mr. Stone and at the very least inform him of his son's fate.

They had so much to discuss with Steven if he came back alive.

No. Not if. _When._ When he came back alive. There was no room in Wallace's mind for doubt, they'd hold onto the hope that Steven was _alive._ Otherwise, they'd never be able to make it through the mission.

They had a job to do, and they intended to do it right.

 _For Steven's sake._


	2. Chapter 2

Crystal-clear water cascaded over the pale stone cliffs of Meteor Falls, the roar of the crushing torrents echoing throughout the caverns as Wallace stepped in, the echo of their footsteps quickly drowned out as they stepped over a nearby crater and up the small staircases that led above a series of small, wet ledges. It was a wonder the stairs scattered around the falls had held up so well over so many centuries . Carved into the falls long ago by the Draconids, nobody was sure how they'd been kept in such pristine condition. Supposedly, it was a secret known only to the tribe.

Wallace could understand that completely. Something similar came with protecting the Cave of Origin, after all. Secrets and traditions known to them and them alone, passed down once Juan had seen fit to reveal such things…

In that sense, they thought, maybe they hadn't been so different from that Draconid woman from two years ago. She'd been a strange character, that one, and Wallace found themself blaming her less and less with every passing day. She'd had her own motives (May had spoken of them plenty of times, albeit in a less-than-favorable light), and she'd followed her own goals...It was a truly human trait. Humans were confusing, with such a concept as morality guiding them. One person's truly "pure" ideals could be completely absurd to another, and when such ideals clashed…

It was such a violent thing, especially when the entire region had been at stake.

Wallace reached into their bag as they climbed the stairs, gently placing a small headset in their ear. Anabel had provided it when they'd left the Center, and it was much like her own. Compact, barely noticeable at first glance. It'd been a striking part of her image once Wallace had noticed it, though - She exuded an air of staunch formality, though there was an air of mystery about her that'd only been emphasized by the headset. It'd sent a chill down their spine, thinking about what she might have been through, how much of a story she had to tell…

Wallace felt like they'd given off the opposite air at such a time, enough that the headset clashed with how they'd presented themself at such a time.

At that point, however, they couldn't think about their image - It was absolutely absurd to do so. They had a mission, and they'd see it through to the end.

Reaching the top of the stairs and staring at the massive waterfall that marked the entrance, Wallace was quick to send out their Seaking, letting her stretch her fins for a good few minutes before stepping in themself, swimming up to her as she floated aimlessly in the middle of the deep waters of the falls.

Wrapping their arms around her, Wallace gave their command.

"All right, Seaking...Waterfall!"

All at once, Seaking charged towards the nearby waterfall, hitting it with such force that Wallace struggled to hold onto her. The spray from the falls hit their face like hailstones, forcing them to close their eyes as Seaking ascended upwards in only a few movements. Wallace very nearly put their hair down for such an occasion - It was always such a joy, feeling their hair flow behind them as their Pokémon climbed the cave's walls, leaving them soaked to the bone. (Then again, "soaked" seemed to be Wallace's most natural, comfortable state.) They held on, tighter than ever, as Seaking gave it one last push, leaping over the waterfall and carrying her trainer into the air alongside herself before landing at the upper parts of the falls and quickly swimming to shore.

Wallace immediately climbed out, shaking the water from their face as they knelt down to gently pet Seaking.

"Well done," they praised, "Now, back you go. It's going to be a long walk, and I don't want you flopping around behind me after that. You've done plenty already."

The fish Pokémon immediately let out a soft purr, snuggling close to her trainer's hand for a moment before they recalled her to her ball, taking a look at the area above. In front of them was the entrance to another cave, just as there'd always been. However, when they looked to their left, Wallace was quick to notice something.

On the raised area to their left, an area that would take hours to reach with how roundabout the path was to it (Wallace had been there a few times, all at Steven's request) lay a few large rocks. Behind these rocks was an entrance to a new cave. Though climbing the rock upwards seemed tempting to Wallace, the slickness of the many surfaces in the caves had made climbing all but impossible for someone like them, and without a single flying Pokémon (not like flying Pokémon fared that well when carrying humans through such narrow passageways), they were going to have to take the long way around.

Not like that was a problem, of course. Anabel wanted them to investigate as much of the falls as they could, and they'd gladly do so.

It was time, then, to enter the depths of the falls. Taking a deep breath, Wallace stepped forward, the low thumping of their own pulse seeming to drown out every other sensation around them.

* * *

Not a soul stood in the northernmost cave of the falls. It was far quieter than the outside - One could practically hear a pin dropping at the top of its slick slopes from where Wallace stood. The air was cool and pleasantly damp, something that came as a relief to Wallace after all the time spent in the warmer lower parts of the cave, and before that, the blazing mid-August sun. Even the stone in the area was considerably darker than that below, an almost indigo hue compared to the dusty off-white stone below.

There was one difference between Wallace's previous visits and their visit at the time: The old Draconid they'd been looking to speak with was long-gone.

That definitely called for contact with Anabel. Wallace pressed their finger down on the side of their headset, taking a deep breath.

"Anabel," Wallace began, "I take it the falls have been evacuated?"

"Indeed." Anabel's voice came out clear as day through their headset. "The Draconids have left the falls for now, the elder included. Looker has been ordered to gather information from them before reporting back here."

"Ah…" Wallace's voice trailed off for a moment. "Thank you. Another thing to report...I've found a new cave in the northwestern corner of the cave. I plan to investigate it as soon as possible."

"A new cave…?" Anabel paused for a long moment before speaking again. "...I'd like to head in with you. Please wait in the cave below its entrance for me."

"Yes, of course," Wallace replied, "In that case, I'll be on my way."

Moving their fingers away from their headset, Wallace took a moment to look back at the ledges above them once again. It was so uncanny, not seeing anyone up there. Not a single dragon tamer or veteran trainer awaiting a battle. It was for the better, of course, but it did nothing to alleviate their anxiety regarding the situation.

Then, a sound hit their ears. It was faint, but very distinct. The sound of a small rock hitting the ground above echoed throughout the chamber, coming from far above and hitting the rocks in a steadily increasing rhythm before the sound petered out. It was enough to nearly cause Wallace to jump back in shock - It was just a Golbat, wasn't it? That was all that was left in the caves. Many, many Golbat and Solrock.

Another stone dropped from the ceiling, then another, with no sign of any Pokémon.

Perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps it'd truly end up being nothing more than a restless Golbat.

Nevertheless, Wallace had to investigate this. It wouldn't be hard for them to head over, not when there was a pool of water off to their left. It'd be a cinch, swimming over it and climbing over the wall of rocks jutting out that kept most surfing Pokémon away. No matter how deep the waters were, they'd devoted their life to mastering their element.

They wouldn't ever be bested. Running past the thin rock wall that cleaved their path in two, one side a dead end and the other only a dead end to most, Wallace leapt into the clear waters of the falls.

The water against their skin...Once again, the feeling was more than familiar. Like second nature to them. They could open their eyes easily beneath the water of the falls, allowing them to take in their surroundings, as much as their naturally well-adapted eyes would allow. It was nothing like Sootopolis's depths - The water was warmer, missing the sharp tang of saltwater that they'd become so used to. It hadn't even been that long since they'd last been able to swim in it, but it was such a welcome change from seawater.

As they surfaced, facing the line of tall, rough rocks, each one tapering to a point, Wallace remembered the last time they'd seen Steven.

It'd been so calm, so relaxing. Just the two of them exploring each and every crevice within the falls, hoping to find something new.

Wallace reached upwards, trying to find a handhold on the rocks above, one that wouldn't crumble down at the first sign of pressure. Gripping the side of the rock with their clean, smooth hands, they'd remembered why this had never been an ideal solution - It'd been enough of a hassle for Steven to get his hands checked so often, and every time Wallace had to scale any wall, it brought to mind how much effort and pain went into their old friend's passions.

They weren't going to let themself be bested by this, though - They had to make it around the rocks. Reaching for a Poké Ball on their belt, Wallace quietly released their Milotic.

"Milotic," they whispered as the serpentine Pokémon stretched out in the waters near them, "Forgive me for asking this of you, but I need you to carry me through here."

Without another sound, Milotic dove beneath the water, surfacing by leaping upwards from beneath Wallace and flinging herself forward, her trainer getting dragged along with her.

All at once, the two hit the water on the other side of the rocks, with Milotic surfacing near the shore and allowing her trainer a moment to breathe before they stepped off her back.

Climbing to shore with a shaky hand, Wallace shook their head.

"A...Aren't you feeling playful today," they joked, "Come on, then. I think you'll be needed up ahead."

With a deep, crooning cry, Milotic slithered out of the water and lay beside her trainer in the brief moment both would take to rest.

Another rock fell from the ceiling above.

Perhaps it was just instinct, but Wallace could tell at that moment that somebody was there.

* * *

The top of the slopes confirmed it. It was hardly visible to the naked eye, but there was definitely a few gaps in the ceiling - There was a tunnel overhead. At the same time, however, there seemed to be no way into the tunnel. The gaps were far too small for someone to climb into if they had the way to reach such a height, and there seemed to be no other visible entrance.

It brought to Wallace's mind something the Elder had said to them during a past visit: "Only Draconids truly know the caves of Meteor Falls. There may even be caves that I do not know of."

Clearly there were, if the new cave outside had been any indication. It didn't change the fact that they needed a way into the tunnel above. It'd no doubt take thinking - The secrets hidden in Meteor Falls, created by the Draconids...Where could such things possibly be hiding?

A shadow appeared in the tunnel, a few words echoing as it passed.

"Oh, you...Aster! Come on, get back here!"

That was... Her. Zinnia! She'd left the falls long ago, hadn't she? Her footsteps echoed throughout the hollow tunnel before slowly fading into nothingness, and Wallace was left to think about where she might have gone.

How she might have gotten in there, considering that her footsteps seemed to take her behind a nearby wall. The Elder had definitely been right, in that regard - Much like the many secrets Sootopolis boasted, Meteor Falls, as an ancestral home to the Draconids, held many things that those not born and raised in it would never know about.

Milotic had been looking around on her own, restlessly traveling up and down the carved stairs like a Growlithe sniffing out its prey. Something was clearly bugging her, enough that Wallace began to pace with her. They'd thought it all through, but...was there truly something more to the caves than just what they were seeing? Something about the slopes had clearly interested Milotic, and-

The slopes...The stairs. The thought was absolutely outlandish. The stairs...Each small set seemed to be enough to conceal a tunnel that a human might be able to squeeze through, but there were four sets of stairs...Were there four tunnels, or only one?

Wallace attempted to move the top set, but they seemed fixated in place. One down, they told themself.

Three to go.

Or at least there would have been if they hadn't heard a Whismur's telltale cry.

"Mum!"

A soft, gentle peep from the tiny creature, only one staircase down from where they stood. The sound was clearly echoing from behind it, even if it was barely audible. Without a moment of hesitation, Wallace dashed down the stairs, noticing that indeed, there was something off about the stairs - There was clearly a notch between them and the ledge they'd been fitted into, unlike the other staircases. Digging their fingers in behind the notch and yanking the stairs free, their Milotic watching intently behind, Wallace let out a deep breath before looking into what they'd discovered.

Indeed, there was a Whismur looking up from the small entrance, one that quickly skittered away upon seeing Wallace.

Behind it, a familiar pair of red eyes. The light had hit Zinnia perfectly in order to bring out her most striking feature. She stared for a brief moment, like a wild Pokémon preparing to run off from a trainer, before dashing back through the narrow cave.

"Milotic," Wallace sighed, "I'm sorry, but I can't take you through such a small cave. Come back to your ball for now."

Milotic bowed her head as Wallace recalled her, returning her ball to their belt and immediately slipping through the hole feet first, landing in a cave that seemed just large enough for an adult.

The walls were narrow, and the path was clearly long and winding, but Zinnia's footsteps echoed throughout it. Wallace rushed forward after her, trying to keep up even when they weren't in their most natural location.

It'd be no use in the end - They'd challenged Zinnia on her own turf, after all. She'd have the high ground no matter what Wallace did. It didn't change the fact that she was there, right when nobody was supposed to be in the falls.

Wallace didn't contact Anabel. Not then. It'd be impossible to negotiate with Zinnia if they jumped to that right away. Something was clearly on her mind.

Wallace turned a sharp corner, very nearly grazing the cave's wall with their shoulder. No, they couldn't afford even a minor injury - Zinnia was ahead, and they had to talk to her. Their feet hit the ground in a violent, increasing rhythm as they climbed through part of the tunnel, one that sloped upwards into another corner.

There was no doubt in Wallace's mind that this was what led to the tunnel above the ceiling.

They turned another corner, and once again, from a distance, they could see Zinnia's silhouette, if only for a few seconds, before she crawled off.

The tunnel had narrowed considerably. It was horribly dark, as well. Wallace was thankful that the light filtered in from small gaps, light that allowed them to at least see that there was yet another corner ahead.

They'd easily be able to catch up with her then, wouldn't they? They crawled slowly through the narrow tunnel, a twinge of anxiety hitting their chest as they moved over the gaps in the tunnel - Would it even be able to hold many more people? They could hear footsteps. Zinnia was definitely running again. There was no doubt that such a dreadfully small tunnel would soon widen once more, enough for them to stretch their legs and get moving again. Wallace quickened their pace, gasping for breath as they reached the corner. Had they truly become so winded from the chase?

They realized, though, that they were right - The cave did become wider again. Standing at the end of the path was Zinnia, except this time, she didn't move. She simply watched, in the darkness of the cave, as Wallace stood.

"Please," Wallace began, taking their first step forward, "I must speak with you, Zinnia. I have to-"

Their second step, then their third, then a fall. How could they have missed such a thing?! The cave had been almost pitch-black, but they should have at least noticed a pit of any kind. It was an embarrassment, and to fall to such a thing in front of someone like her... They'd never live this one down.

Clawing at the edges of the small pit, Wallace tried to catch their breath, tried to stave off the exhaustion that'd started to hit them for just a little longer in order to just catch up to the woman in front of them. However, their grip began to fail them. The sweat on their hands finally caused them to slip, and they hit the ground of a narrow pit with an unceremonious thud, looking upwards in the haze of overexertion in hopes of seeing Zinnia's face.

"Please," they wheezed, "Please...Talk to me…! This is…"

Their voice trailed off as they felt their lack of breath finally get to them. The world seemed to turn red for a moment as they closed their eyes and felt unconsciousness take hold.

An Altaria's claws dug into their shoulders as they drifted off.

* * *

"...Hey! Come on, get up already! You were the one who wanted to talk, weren't you?!"

With a prolonged groan, Wallace opened their eyes, their vision still blurry. Neither sound nor sight seemed to register well with them, but they could make out the distinct smell of wherever they were - There was definitely a smell like the weathered stone of Meteor Falls to it, but, more strikingly, there wasn't just the smell of a fire but the distinctive smell of food. It smelled sweet, though not overpoweringly so. There was definitely a hint of spice to it, as well, mingling with any number of other aromas that immediately roused them.

They hadn't realized it before, but they were starved.

"H...How long was I…?" Wallace mumbled, still trying to get their bearings.

"Hours," Zinnia replied bluntly, placing a bowl in front of Wallace, "Now, eat. Everything I need to tell you...You'll want to hear it on a full stomach."

Wallace blinked slowly, finally able to look the Draconid in the eye.

"Wh...What?" they replied, their own stomach cutting them off before they could inquire further.

"Welp, guess that settles things." Zinnia let out a vibrant laugh before returning to her former grave tone. "I said eat. Now eat. And by the way?"

Wallace let out a puzzled hum before taking a small sip from the bowl in front of them. They should have expected somebody like Zinnia to know a thing or two about making a few basic meals on the road, but the soup...It was even better than it'd smelled. A sweet mixture of Pecha purée and various sweet juices, chunks of Leppa berries that'd clearly been cooked a while in the soup, the slight tang of Aspear juices mingling with a slight spicy flavor…

It was fantastic. Wallace could swear they saw Zinnia nearly beaming with pride when she noticed how they'd reacted to the soup.

"...Well, it's good to know you're enjoying that. I can hardly get Aster to eat a bite of it," Zinnia chuckled, "Anyway...I was going to say that everyone falls into that bit on their first trip through. Now that you've made that mistake, you're not going to make it again any time soon."

Wallace took a moment to swallow a small mouthful of soup before looking to Zinnia again.

"Mmf...You knew," Wallace rasped, "And you didn't say a thing?!"

"I did that because I needed you, " Zinnia replied, "And I needed you here. This is where I've been living. Nice little place, isn't it?"

The cavern was certainly large enough to house someone. In the center, a warm fire crackled - No doubt created by one of her dragons - and on either side of it were bedrolls, one of which had up until then held Wallace. Small pots and bowls were scattered around, as well as pouches of various supplies. Berries, herbs, even charcoal...Zinnia was clearly well-prepared.

"Indeed," Wallace sighed, still very clearly unamused, "So tell me, what exactly were you planning on telling me? What was so important that you had to drag me here? "

Zinnia shook her head before looking back into Wallace's eyes with a steely glare.

"I'm here to tell you to give up on Steven," she said icily, "Before you have to deal with the consequences that'll come with your search."


	3. Chapter 3

**_IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:_** _The Sootopolitan language isn't mine - It was created by a friend of mine, who can be found on **Archive of our Own** as **DoodleDoo.** Give their work a look, especially if you're an OriginShipping fan - They're in the middle of their first fic, a massive pirate AU, and it's fantastic thus far!_

 _Translation notes will be provided at the end! Enjoy the new chapter!_

* * *

Wallace nearly choked on another mouthful of soup, forcing themself to swallow it all at once. It'd physically _hurt,_ forcing it all down, but that was _nothing_ after what Zinnia had said.

"You...You _what?!"_ they gasped, "You've...You've _seen_ him, then? He's still alive?!"

Wallace felt something swell in their chest. This was it! _This_ was the evidence they needed!

"Finish eating," Zinnia demanded, "I told you that you wouldn't be able to handle this one hungry. I _meant it._ Eat while you still can."

Silence fell over the room. Another bowl of soup later, one they'd barely been able to finish after so much stress had been planted in their mind earlier, and Wallace lay back in the soft bedroll Zinnia had provided, instructed to lay there as she tended to the fire and spoke about what she knew.

"So...Yeah. I've seen him here," Zinnia began, "And something's _wrong_ with him. There's something out there with him, something none of us have seen before. When Interpol came to Meteor Falls to evacuate the place, most of the Draconids living here had already left. Those that hadn't had to be forced outta here...Save for me, of course."

"But…" Wallace asked, shifting a little in their bed, "Why would you stay here, then? You can't possibly mean to say that you're…"

"Trying to die _again?_ No, that's not really it," Zinnia replied with a halfhearted shrug, "But if it's how I go, it's how I go. I want him out of the falls, and I don't want anyone else to come to harm, regardless of whether or not they're from here. That includes you."

Wallace sat up in an instant, their eyes narrowing into a glare. Zinnia looked back with disinterest, as if trying to tell him that, once again, _nothing_ would shake her conviction.

"This," Wallace replied scornfully, "Is my fight as well. I won't let you sway my path - I am the _Champion_ now. Steven has gone missing, and now I know that he's not only here, but he's _alive._ You've told me everything I've wanted to know, and you're telling me I should _leave?!_ I'm afraid this won't happen any time soon."

"What, you think _you_ can make it to him? You, and whichever Interpol agents are trying to find this _thing?"_ Zinnia scoffed, "Don't make me laugh. There's something that's _not_ right about him. If you don't believe me…"

Zinnia dropped her cloak to the ground and turned her back to Wallace, revealing her shoulders. Cloth bandages had been crudely wrapped around them and her back, dried blood lining the frayed edges. Wallace had little doubt that she hadn't been taking care of the wounds like she should have - Was all this her bid to stay hidden? Was she really and truly going to risk her life again, to run the risk of such violent, horrific infections if that meant she could somehow take control of the situation herself?

 _"Salamence_ did this to me." Zinnia's voice had taken on a deep, mournful tone as she recalled what had happened. "I don't even know what happened to her. We were flying towards him, and then something... _Something_ hit her. When I grabbed onto a nearby cliff and looked back, this thing was behind her. It was _glowing,_ and when Salamence caught sight of me after that…"

Zinnia closed her eyes and swallowed hard after trailing off, clearly still trying to come to terms with what had happened to her closest partner. Wallace couldn't blame her at all - The two were no doubt close as Wallace themself was with their Milotic. To have to see one's closest partner betray them in such a way...Wallace couldn't imagine what that would feel like.

The two fell silent for a moment as Zinnia picked up her cape and covered the bandaged portions of her body.

"So you see now, don't you?" Zinnia continued quietly, " _None_ of us can fight him. We have to get rid of that...That _thing._ Whatever it was. I...I don't know what I'm supposed to do here, but Interpol...Interpol arriving here just made things _far_ worse than they had to be."

Zinnia shrugged, her mouth curving into a smile before she turned to look into Wallace's eyes, her own gaze wide and blood-red.

"I can't exactly work with them like you are, you know?" Zinnia seemed to be bordering on _laughter,_ suddenly. "They're not going to want me with 'em after what I pulled with Rayquaza - What do you think they'll say, anyway? Just that I can't explain things right? Because I mean, that one's fair. Or are they going to talk about how I _compromised_ the entirety of Hoenn, as if the other end of things wasn't planning to do the same? Are they going to call me impulsive? Tell me I just need to give them their info and get out? Go on, champ, tell me everything. Do you _really_ think they want me?"

Wallace stood up, their breaths growing heavy. She was _right_ \- There was no guarantee that Interpol would let her in on such a mission. At the same time, however, Zinnia was setting herself up for _failure,_ as if...It was as if she'd still thought she was better off dead than alive. Was _this_ what losing her Salamence had done to her? Could she simply not imagine a life without her closest partner by her side?

"...I may be able to put in an appeal, you know," Wallace replied, "If they don't believe you as you are, they'll certainly believe the Champion. You have so much more to contribute than you think - You're the only one here who knows about caves like this! You've put on an absolutely dazzling performance so far, so to speak. I'd like to see what else you could do."

A soft _humph_ echoed through the cave as Zinnia stepped towards Wallace, the grin not fading from her face as she raised a hand upwards to grab their jaw, quicker than they could step back, and pull them closer to her.

"I told you what I wanted to tell you," she hissed, "So why haven't you left?"

Wallace immediately tore themself away from Zinnia, glaring _daggers_ down at her.

"And I told you I could help," Wallace snarled, "You're certainly one to look a gift Horsea in the mouth. Might I ask why you're so insistent on being a martyr? _Kosou-en vinda hirana-an dae tyeu vira,_ Zinnia. You're going to flicker and fade away if you face this one alone."

"Hah. Didn't know you knew Draconidian," Zinnia chuckled, "Or that you'd go straight to petty insults like that. Well, if that's how you're gonna play, fine - _Yo aec uh Yanahärae-Hishä lis nä yanahärae!_ I mean...You _do_ look kind of shabby now that you've been traveling like you have!"

Of course, of course she'd respond with the same. It was just like her, someone bound down deeply by tradition, to know _their_ first language alongside her own. Wallace gritted their teeth, letting out a short, harsh breath. She _didn't_ just go there. No potential! Oh, they would _show her_ no potential!

"Hm...As you wish," Wallace sighed, trying to hide how much that'd stung, "I'll still be putting in a good word, Zinnia - We _need_ someone such as yourself. Now...How do I leave this cave? And for that matter, where did you leave my earpiece?"

Zinnia sighed, reaching into her bedroll and pulling out the earpiece Wallace had been wearing. She handed it to them without a word more, allowing them to place it back over their ear before speaking again.

"All right. All right. Fine." Zinnia's voice was thick with exasperation. "The truth is, I don't really care about what you say. I'm still going to say the same thing I said at the start: Don't go any deeper. All right? We're good, then? Because if so...I need you out. Aster's gone missing, and I don't want to hold you back any more anyway. Mind the pit on your way out."

"The pit…" Wallace sighed, "Why is that even there, anyway?"

Zinnia shrugged.

"You know, we really don't know," she replied, "It was probably just some ancient Pokémon's burrow or something, but you never know. There's a lot of tunnels in Meteor Falls. Some of them lead to places like here, some of them we still don't know where they lead. They're all over the place - Some of them are even underwater, leading out to the ocean. If you're out swimming through there, keep a Pokémon out."

"R...Right," Wallace continued, "Then I'll be off. Farewell."

"Bye, then." Zinnia turned away from Wallace, her grin out of their view.

 _"Ekana tyur ou kosou-en ki vind,"_ she whispered as Wallace turned away, a biting edge to her voice. Wallace had picked up on it, knowing that it was likely that she _hadn't_ changed her mind at all - She still planned to take on Steven so that nobody else had to.

Hopefully a talk with Anabel would change this.

* * *

"Wallace!" Anabel called, "What happened to you? Please report!"

Wallace descended from the waterfall at the falls' entrance, their Seaking carrying them to shore before returning to her ball once again. Stepping onto the pale stone and wringing out their hair (Great Kyogre, they'd need to tie it back once they had the chance to - It made swimming _that_ much harder otherwise), Wallace let out heavy breaths, the exhaustion from their visit echoing on their voice throughout the cave.

"It's...It's quite a story," Wallace gasped, "There's still someone in the falls...One of the Draconids. Do you recall ever hearing of a woman named Zinnia?"

Standing behind Anabel was Looker, awaiting his next order but also clearly focused on Wallace, as if he had something of interest to report himself. However, both agents took a step back when they heard the name "Zinnia."

"Zinnia!" Looker replied, "You cannot possibly mean…!"

"... _That_ Zinnia?" Anabel finished, "What have you heard from her?"

"She's told me not to pursue the mission any further," Wallace explained, letting their hair drape back over their shoulders and folding their arms, "I've learned from her that…"

Walllace swallowed, closing their eyes. It'd been a hard enough fact to learn. Steven _was_ alive, but at the same time, was this truly Steven? Something was amiss in the falls, and if they didn't find Steven, or at least Zinnia's Salamence, what would become of the place? What would become of _Hoenn?_ Would Interpol truly be able to save Steven in the end, or would their efforts prove fruitless? Wallace's mind _buzzed_ with questions, but not a single one would be answered any time soon, and the frustration clawed at their throat like a Zangoose's claws against its prey.

"Steven...Is alive."

A mutual _"What?!"_ echoed through the cave, though Anabel was quick to regain her composure.

"If that's the case, we can't afford to lose any more time," she explained, "Mr. Looker...If you would tell Wallace what you've learned before we head in deeper."

"Ah...Of course, chief," Looker breathed, "We have received reports from Professor Cozmo, and he wishes to speak with Interpol."

"As Looker and I are heading into the falls," Anabel explained, "You're to head into Fallarbor for this. Please rest while you're there - We'll be planning a course of action once we've scouted the area further."

Wallace bowed, looking between Anabel and Looker. The latter was giving them a clearly nervous look, a look that seemed to only be there to remind them of their earlier agreement.

A reminder that they'd sworn to keep Anabel from dying when he could not.

"In that case," Wallace replied, "I'll be off. And if you should find Zinnia...Please don't send her out immediately. She knows much more about this cave than any of us. May we all excel!"

Wallace barely stayed behind to hear the agents' own wishes of luck upon them - They _had_ to make it to Fallarbor at that point if there was something _truly_ that important waiting for them. They ran out of the cave, taking in the fresh air of the crater-marked mountain trail and the fresh grass below. _Anyone_ would notice the Champion wandering around, of course, but they hardly cared. Attention hardly mattered when there was so much at stake.

Steven. They wouldn't give up on Steven.

Their footsteps grew more frequent and came down harder with every inch they traveled towards Fallarbor.

 _I won't fail you...Any of you!_

* * *

Fallarbor's air was as rich and earthy as ever. Wallace took a deep breath as they crossed the path through the small town, craters lining parts of the dirt on either side. They were small compared to those at the falls, but nonetheless beautiful - They were the world's battle scars, marking Hoenn's survival over everything nature could throw its way.

The houses looked far too technologically advanced for such a place. After a row of small houses, sparsely distributed compared to most other towns in the region, Wallace finally sighted the unmistakable home across from the local Contest Hall. Marked with a telescope, there was no denying it was Professor Cozmo's, though something was terribly _off_ about the atmosphere.

Namely, the crowd around the Contest Hall. A massive group of people had gathered around the entrance. In the midst of it all, a TV crew was visible. Curiosity instantly gripped Wallace - Had _Lisia_ come back to Fallarbor? At such a time? It was almost... _Frightening._ Were Steven to leave the cave and head towards the town, he'd surely cause absolute pandemonium...And in the midst of it would be Lisia, caught in the fleeing crowd. Would it be her? The moment they took their eyes away from the town, would she-

"Well, it's good to see you've come back."

A voice cut Wallace off as they stared apprehensively at the crowd, listening in for Lisia's voice. It had become apparent, even if her words were difficult to hear, that she _was_ at the center, and who had noticed that Wallace had been watching for her but her mother.

It'd been some time since the two had met up again. She stood tall, just as her sibling did, with a slightly more heavyset build than theirs. Her hair was fluffy and long, her teal locks curling out every which way no matter what sort of care she put into it. She'd come out in simple attire, all things considered - A white longcoat and the long boots she'd sported for so long that she'd sworn she was born in them. Her deep teal eyes, sparkling dark teal eyeshadow around the edges, met Wallace's, and her lips curved into a smile.

"I take it you've been searching?" their sister asked, "When I heard Lisia was headed to Fallarbor, I came here in hopes of meeting up with you...And encouraging you to take a break for a bit."

"Ah…! Rhia!" Wallace looked away sheepishly. "Yes...I'm sorry for being gone so long. I'm not going to rest for long, but since Lisia _is_ here...I'll take this moment to."

The crowd began to thin, and Lisia was slowly left to herself, even if that peace would only last a moment. Wallace had known this and stepped forward, just a little, before Rhiannon had to encourage them once more.

"Well," Rhiannon chuckled, "Go on, then. We've both been dying to see you."

Wallace didn't have to make another move. In an instant, Lisia's eyes lit up, and she dashed towards them, pulling them into a hug.

"Uncle Wall!" she chirped, "I can't believe you're here! Come on, come with me!"

Lisia dashed into the Contest Hall, her steps as bouncy as ever. Rhiannon followed, gesturing to her sibling to walk forward as well, narrowing her eyes for a moment before Wallace moved to her side.

"...I _did_ want to speak about the search," Rhiannon admitted, "But for now...You've been working at this so hard, and for so long. Please, Wallace. At least come in here with us for a moment."

Wallace said nothing, only glanced back at the doors behind them. There was no turning back from that moment, even if they tried. Perhaps, though, Rhiannon knew best in that regard. Their own family had hardly seen anything of them once Steven had vanished. They were still _exhausted,_ long after resting in Zinnia's cave. Their back ached, and they'd needed a moment of peace.

Their family would provide.

Perhaps, even, Rhiannon would know something more about everything that had been happening.

Especially when it had happened so fast.

* * *

 _ **Translation notes:**_

 _"Kosou-en vinda hirana-an dae tyeu vira" - "Dead stars burn brighter than you" (literally "stars dead brighter than you burn")_

 _"Ekana tyur ou kosou-en ki vind" - "May the stars fill your eyes" (literally "eyes yours the stars fill," meant normally as a draconidian way of wishing someone well, meant entirely in sarcasm here)_

 _"Yo aec uh Yanahärae-Hishä lis nä yanahärae" = "You are a Feebas with no potential" (literally "you are a potential-fish with no potential")_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note:** hi there i'm actually back now - hopefully book 2 will also get an update pretty soon, i just want to finish this thing as soon as i can._

 ** _Translation_ _note:_** _"Uolae" (uh-oo-lay) = precious_

* * *

A twinge of guilt hit Wallace as they sat down in one of the hall's dressing rooms, Rhiannon stepping in with two cups of tea - A complimentary service for _anyone_ working in contests; it certainly paid for Rhiannon to be one of the region's top designers - and placing them down on the sleek white counter beside herself and Wallace. The dressing room was as vibrant and sparkly as ever, perhaps _too_ much so, at least for those not looking for any sort of cute appeal. Wallace had always preferred beauty, after all. It was a fact that only highlighted what a prodigy their beloved niece was - Capable of changing her image in an instant for any contest, Lisia was truly a prime example of what being a contest star meant. She boasted a sort of universal appeal that many others couldn't provide.

Her mother was no different when it came to her own work. Whether it was performing or costume design, Rhiannon's side of the family had always seemed to excel at appealing to whomever they stood in front of.

The bit of guilt continued to stab at Wallace's chest. They'd stepped away, and they'd intended to only step away for a _moment,_ but Rhiannon...She seemed determined to keep them there for longer.

They had a _mission._ They couldn't stay for long. Twenty minutes. Wallace gave themself twenty minutes before they had to come clean to her about anything.

"So," Rhiannon began, sitting down next to her sibling and holding her cup of tea with a delicate grip, "I won't keep you too long. It's just been...A while."

Melancholy dripped from her voice at her last words. _A while._ Wallace could understand. They swallowed a sip of tea, the soft sweetness of honey lingering alongside a mild bitter taste. She'd never forget that. The small things were certainly enough to remind them of _why_ they'd taken a break.

"Indeed," Wallace replied, "...I take it the usual fans are keeping Lisia occupied?"

Rhiannon only laughed in response to Wallace's question, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"Unfortunately," she sighed, "It seems like every time we step in here she's swarmed...Though they all know what'll happen if they get anywhere near her."

"Oh, of course." Wallace had relaxed significantly at that point, the stress seeming to melt away from their body as they continued to speak. "If Ali doesn't get to them, Uolae will."

Rhiannon nodded in response, swallowing another sip of tea.

"She's never failed to shake off rabid fans." Suddenly, worry shone in Rhiannon's eyes. "...Even a few years after she rose to the top like she did, I still fear that they'll get to her, you know? It's a bit ridiculous to be so afraid of what might happen to her, but...Nothing's going to change the fact that she's my daughter."

Footsteps echoed through the hallway outside, and a Huntail snaked in from behind the open door, slithering across the ground like a serpent and making its way to Rhiannon, who immediately leaned down to offer her arm to the Pokémon. The Huntail let out a soft, rough cry as it climbed up her arm and moved to the counter, sprawling out and awaiting attention from its trainer and her sibling.

"Well hello again, Uolae!" Wallace chuckled, "It's been so long...I'm terribly sorry for not visiting, dear."

Wallace reached to the counter in order to give Uolae a scratch beneath the vibrant orange fins that lined her jaw - Her _favorite_ place to be pet. Uolae let out a quiet purr before Wallace pulled their hand away, letting Rhiannon take over as Lisia entered the room, Ali following behind her. The Altaria wasn't flying, not when he had to conserve energy for a show. _Especially_ not when he'd likely be Mega Evolving in front of such an audience.

Once again, seeing their niece walk in with a spring in her step, her eternally sunny demeanor shining through in every movement, every bit of her face, didn't fail to lift Wallace's spirits further. She was the light of the family, a brilliant pillar of optimism since the day Wallace had first seen her. So long as Lisia was there, it seemed like, for a single moment, the world would be okay.

"Phew…" Lisia relaxed her posture and wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead before turning to Wallace and Rhiannon. "It's, ah...Busy out there."

"I can imagine," Rhiannon chuckled, "Come on over, Lisia. I'm terribly sorry to have forgotten to bring you a drink...Should I go get one?"

Sitting down in a chair beside Wallace and slumping down on the counter in front of her, clearly _exhausted_ as she let out a prolonged sigh, Lisia looked to Rhiannon, barely able to crack a smile as she nodded.

"Please," she said, her voice cracking under the usual strain, "A-And...Please get something for Ali, if you can! He needs to recover from that, too."

Standing up and gesturing for her Huntail to stay where she was, Rhiannon walked over to Lisia and pulled her into a quick, gentle hug.

"Of course," she replied, "Please rest, dear. I'll be back in a moment."

Rhiannon pulled herself away from Lisia, Uolae settling down for a nap, and began to walk away, glancing at Wallace with a stern look - Her daughter had _missed_ them, and she wouldn't let them leave without spending a little time with her. Wallace couldn't argue with this. Desperate as their search was, they'd barely spoken with their family, not even to assure them that yes, they were all right.

A feeling of unease knotted in Wallace's belly, and they found themself more and more tempted to reach for the earpiece they'd stored in their bag. They _wanted_ to say more about the status of their search, especially when they _knew_ Steven was alive. They couldn't, not even with Lisia looking their way with a bright-eyed smile.

The mission could easily kill them.

The reality of their situation hit them like a bullet. Even _with_ Milotic defending them viciously, they'd potentially be up against not only Zinnia's Salamence, but the otherworldly threat of the odd "Nihilego." It was _unthinkable._ They'd be leaving everyone behind, they'd be leaving _Steven_ behind, even if they _did_ find him. They'd be _gone_ in the blink of an eye, with so many loose ends…

"...Hey, are you okay? Uncle Wall!"

Wallace was fiercely pulled back to reality the moment Lisia spoke. Had they been...They definitely had. Once again, they were the Skitty, chasing their tail endlessly and trying to gain a sense of control. Even Lisia's words did little to stave off the racing thoughts in their head, though they could do what they could to hide this.

Lisia _knew_ something was wrong. She wouldn't forget that any time soon.

"Ahhh...I'm terribly sorry, Lisia," Wallace said sheepishly, "I'm afraid it's just been a stressful few days...Have you been well?"

The sudden worry didn't fade from Lisia's expression, even if she tried to hide it.

"It's been amazing!" she replied, hushing her voice as she leaned closer to Wallace, "I'm not allowed to say much, but...TV Mauville wants me back for something new!"

"Goodness, another deal? That's absolutely wonderful to hear!" _That_ certainly lifted the mood. Regardless of the risk, Wallace was determined to come back from their mission alive, especially when there was so much ahead. Hearing that Lisia would be moving forward even more than she had...Every time she brought up news of victories in contests or further deals as an idol, Wallace couldn't help but feel an immense sense of secondhand happiness for her. "I'm looking forward to seeing what this secret thing might be - There's not an ounce of doubt in my mind that you'll once again excel."

Lisia leaned back, nodding excitedly.

"Yep! It'll be fantastic, and I just...I can't wait for you to see it." Lisia's tone took on a slightly _somber_ tone in that moment. It was something rarely heard, though Wallace knew full well _why_ this had happened. Lisia had always seemed deeply affected by those around her, taking in their emotions like a sponge and, at times, barely being able to contain what she absorbed. "I'm...I'm really worried, you know. I keep hearing that they cleared out the falls when something collapsed in there, but also...Mom keeps talking about you. She met up with Juan yesterday and started going on and on about how you'd die out on your search, and I…"

Lisia trailed off for a moment before standing up and reaching towards Wallace for a hug, one they were quick to accept. She felt a bit too warm, clearly still feeling the effects of being surrounded by such a crowd. _Far_ too warm against Wallace's cool skin.

"...I dunno what I'd do if that happened," Lisia whimpered, "And Mom...She wants you to stop."

 _Stop._ Stop, when they'd come as far as they had. _Everyone_ seemed to be telling them not to probe any further, everyone save for the agents that Wallace had allied themself with. Even their own family wanted them to step away, yet…

Thoughts of Steven had filled their head. Was it truly a good idea to prioritize him over everyone else? Even if that was the case, was it worth putting everyone involved - Anabel, Looker, and even _Zinnia_ \- in such danger? Zinnia had done _plenty_ of bad for Hoenn, certainly, but did she truly deserve to throw her life away when her sacrifice would be meaningless? Would it truly be best to leave the issue to Anabel and her partner, especially after Wallace's own talk with Looker before they'd reached the falls?

A damp spot had formed on their shoulder as the revelation hit them - This had been enough to bring Lisia to _tears._ The stress had finally gotten to her, but how could Wallace _possibly_ blame her? Her own mother had become convinced that her uncle and mentor would be killed, and even if she and Steven had (regrettably) not interacted as much as they could have, she'd clearly cared for him.

"Ah...Shh. Lisia…" Wallace whispered, suddenly unsure of how to reassure her, "I know times are stressful. I won't let anything happen to myself while I'm out there. As far as I'm aware, nothing has happened yet...Once I'm allowed to return to the falls, I'll investigate the collapse on my own time."

 _Safe._ Safe as any recently-evacuated area could be, anyway. Wallace cursed the fact that Interpol had forced them to _lie_ , and to their own niece, no less.

"Mmhmm...Y-Yeah...Sorry, Uncle Wall," Lisia murmured, pulling herself away from them and sitting back down, "I just...Sometimes it's hard to keep up the act. I know there are people depending on me, but it's hard when I have to smile and look cute all the time! I can't let anyone know I'm not doing okay when I'm not in a place like this...And now I'm gonna have to clean my face off before they notice I was crying. Bleah."

Lisia paused before a look of realization crossed her face.

"But that's what it's like being the Champion, right?"

She'd hit the nail on the head - _That_ was how they'd been feeling. Nobody was allowed to know what was _truly_ going on in Meteor Falls. Wallace was one of the only ones allowed to. They were alone in their struggle, with people to protect and their closest friend at stake. They couldn't even say he was _alive!_ It wasn't fair, yet…

Every second that ticked by put not just Steven, but the entirety of the area at risk. As Champion, it was Wallace's _duty_ to keep Hoenn safe from such threats.

Like it or not, they had to continue.

"Indeed it is." Wallace nodded slowly as a wistful smile crossed their face. "Being any kind of celebrity requires one to keep their true feelings masked. You and I have taken the roles as shining beacons to the region. When the entirety of Hoenn is watching, we must do everything in our power to keep their spirits up, even in the harshest times...Regardless of what emotions lie deep down."

Ali fluttered up to Lisia's lap, snuggling close to his trainer as he let out soft, singing cries. Lisia could only hug her Altaria close, hoping he'd be enough to take her away from the painful reality she'd found herself in. Her uncle, they were off risking their life, and she'd never know the truth behind _why._ Her mother was _convinced_ she'd lose Wallace. Not only that, but what had Rhiannon said to _Juan?_ Wallace couldn't imagine her blowing up at him at all...If she'd truly lost her temper, then it'd become abundantly clear _how much_ she'd been affected by the search.

Rhiannon's heels clicked against the floor as she walked in, carrying a glass of water in one hand and balancing a large ceramic water dish in the other. She seemed to be _glaring_ at Wallace as she handed the glass to Lisia and placed the dish by her feet. Ali jumped down from his trainer's lap and eagerly began to drink, his head dipping into the dish again and again as he took large sips from it. Lisia was certainly slower than her Pokémon, but the drink was no less appreciated, especially when she'd spent the time she had crying over what could have come.

"...Lisia…" Rhiannon sighed, "You...Did you tell them about the argument?"

Lisia looked away, giving a shameful nod.

"...I...I did, Mom," she admitted, "Were you going to…?"

"No, no, it's quite all right," Rhiannon assured before turning to Wallace, "I told you this'd bring nothing but trouble, and I meant it. I know I can't stop you, Wallace. I've never been able to. I just want you to come out of this okay. I guess you could say this is giving me flashbacks to what became of our parents..."

As Rhiannon took a seat near Wallace once again, she never once broke eye contact with them. Wallace couldn't shake the fact that she was _imposing_ \- Height had always run in the family, and when she stood while they sat, her larger figure did plenty to intimidate them.

She'd mentioned their parents - Both lost on the same ship at sea, torn apart against rocks and their bodies recovered from the wreckage.

Wallace had been twelve, Rhiannon nineteen and living in Mauville Hills, six months into her _miserable_ pregnancy. Wallace wouldn't ever forget what'd become of their parents, or why Rhiannon had come home to Sootopolis only a year and a half later, a baby swaddled in her arms as she and Juan returned to the city.

Even if the scars from such things had faded, it was hard for Wallace to _not_ reminisce on how hard their and Rhiannon's lives had been.

"...I'm sorry, Rhia," Wallace replied, "I'm not going to give up on this one, you're right. Steven and I are...Far too close for me to not look into such a thing."

Lisia had turned away from the two of them - Was she simply trying to tune out of things? Wallace realized they'd spent plenty of time in the Contest Hall anyway...They had to leave to speak with Professor Cozmo. Standing up and giving one last look to the Huntail that was still sprawled out across the counter, slowly opening her eyes now that her trainer had returned, Wallace managed to force a convincing smile.

Everything would be there if they returned. _When_ they returned. They'd no longer let themself think in "ifs." Rhiannon and Lisia were waiting for them.

"...I'm terribly sorry," Wallace sighed, "I've stayed here for quite some time...I had business in the town that I must attend to."

"Aww." Lisia pouted as she spoke, exaggerating her expression before returning to her usual smile. "Well, okay then! Bye, Uncle Wall!"

"...Take care of yourself," Rhiannon added on, "We're always here for you, you know."

Wallace nodded as they turned to leave the room, hoping that Fallarbor would be more forgiving.

The thought of leaving their family behind was still the most terrifying part of the mission. They _had_ to make it out alive, not just for Steven. For Rhia and Lisia. They felt the words they'd failed to speak echoing through their mind, two words that they should have said if only to reassure Rhiannon as much as they could.

 _I know._

They stepped out of the hall, placing their earpiece back in their ear as they headed towards the professor's home.

At least they'd held themself back from admitting anything that should have _remained_ unspoken.

* * *

The door to Professor Cozmo's home opened unceremoniously, clearly catching its resident off-guard. Jumping back as Wallace walked in, away from the telescope in the upper levels that seemed to be the most notable feature of the home, was the professor himself, who quickly returned to his slightly hunched posture and descended the ladder in the room the moment he realized who had arrived. Immediately, relief shone in his eyes behind his thick glasses as he gestured towards the nearby sleek black table and offered the one chair to Wallace.

"Hah...Wallace," he began as the Champion sat down and turned to face him, "You couldn't have arrived at a better time. I've been informed by Looker of the situation in Meteor Falls - I couldn't have imagined that Draconid would come back for something such as this."

Wallace glanced around the room as Cozmo took a seat on the bed that lay across from the table, eyes still locked on the monitor behind Wallace. They couldn't help but look back at it - It was part of a _massive_ amount of equipment, equipment they'd never know how to work in any way. The deep gray steel devices lined the wall, and the only thing that seemed to make much sense at all to Wallace was the screen in the center. There were charts, including a map of Hoenn, and a distinctive violet mark over Meteor Falls on said map.

Cozmo...He'd had quite a hand in the investigation, Wallace could imagine.

Looking back to Cozmo, Wallace gave a slow nod.

"...You're suspicious," they surmised, "I myself have...Mixed feelings regarding Zinnia, I must admit, but she was able to confirm that Steven was alive. I owe her much for that, and I can only hope Interpol will be able to bargain with her."

A look of disdain crossed the professor's face, the slight lines of age only serving to accent his expression. Zinnia was certainly a _polarizing_ figure for those who had been affected by her, and they couldn't say that they had _entirely_ forgiven her, much as they knew they'd be able to in due time.

"I suppose you could say that," Cozmo sighed, "I still can't say if I trust her after what happened...Regardless of what facts came about because of her actions. Anyway, that's not what I called you here to discuss. I've recently found two others with information related to the strange dimensional shifting around Meteor Falls, and, ah...It'd been a stroke of luck when you'd arrived. I'm afraid we don't exactly have the best relationship."

Wallace raised an eyebrow. Had they really, truly been called to oversee what could potentially become nothing more than a petty dispute? Had _Interpol_ sent them away from their search for _this?_

"You…" Wallace's voice trembled slightly, their annoyance coming out more and more as _anger_ at such a situation. "You're asking me to _mediate?_ Surely you're capable of handling such disputes on your own, professor! I want to say this is _outrageous,_ but...Do explain further."

"I suppose," Cozmo replied, glancing towards the door, "It'd be best for you to see them yourself. I'm terribly sorry to have dragged you into such a situation, but...I can't face these two civilly alone."

Something _clicked_ in Wallace's mind. _Two_ of them. Cozmo had called them to mediate for a reason, and that reason...If it was indeed what Wallace thought it was, then Hoenn was in _dire_ straits.

Their concerns were only confirmed when the door opened, and the imposing figure of an all-too-familiar trainer walked in. Scarring marking what skin was visible beneath his wetsuit, a golden pendant in the shape of an anchor adorning his neck, not to mention the _Key Stone_ in the center of said pendant...The man who walked in seemed a bit too friendly for somebody who had nearly brought the region to _ruin,_ especially given the state of Sootopolis at such a time…

Wallace hadn't intended to let out a snarl as the man placed a device on the table - Was that a _Holo Caster?_ They'd never had a chance to use such a thing, and they'd understood that such a thing was far more popular in Kalos than anywhere else, but to see that _he'd_ had one…

"...Archie," Wallace said coolly, "I could have never imagined."

Archie stood beside Cozmo, who was clearly making an active effort to _not_ move away. He flashed a sharp-toothed grin at Wallace, leaning in closer as whoever was on the other line (it definitely wasn't a mystery as to _who_ \- _Anyone_ would take a guess and bring up the name "Maxie") tried to connect to such a place.

Only three words escaped Archie as Wallace simply glared back at them, the two looking like little more than two wild Pokémon waiting to pounce on each other.

"Hello there, _Champ."_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note:** Sorry for the delay - this entire chapter was written from mobile due to lack of computer access. It was...quite the experience, I'll say. Two more chapters, guys - We're almost there!_

* * *

"I should have known," Wallace replied, hoping they'd sound unfazed by Archie's attempt at intimidation, "And I'd imagine you're not the only one I'll be working with at this time?"

Archie backed down once a ring echoed through a sudden, palpable silence, signalling that the next person involved had arrived. At once, he tapped a button on the side of the Holo Caster, letting a cyan hologram take form. The figure fizzled for a moment, static causing their words to become nearly incomprehensible until their face finally formed.

Standing tall, at least as far as anyone could tell from what the device showed of them, was indeed the leader of the reformed Team Magma, one who would have just as easily brought Hoenn to ruin as Archie did, at least provided they'd been allowed access to the Red Orb they'd so greatly desired. Temptation ran deep in the veins of the teams' leaders. This was something anyone who had interacted with them could tell.

Maxie adjusted their glasses and let out a deep sigh.

"...At last," they breathed, "Your distrust is understandable, Tahuk. It hasn't been long since the incident. I'm afraid, however, that we require your full cooperation for now. As both Professor Cozmo and our teams have observed recently, Meteor Falls has been giving off unique signals. These signals are similar to those reported by Alola's Professor Burnet, and through her published work we've come to the conclusion that the phenomenon near Meteor Falls is a distortion in space itself, something that seems to be twisting the dimensions around it. Are we to assume you're here to provide an explanation?"

Tahuk. Such formality from someone such as Maxie. The title was rarely used - Understandably so, as it meant that a stiff sort of respect had to be used in order to address Sootopolis's leader - and to suddenly hear it from one of the two individuals who had thought to doom Hoenn...It said much about the difference between Maxie and Archie.

It did little to ease Wallace's mind.

Wallace bowed before speaking once again, gaze moving between Archie, who looked back with a sudden grim expression, Cozmo, whose nerves hardly seemed to have settled, even with Wallace there, and the hologram of Maxie, an image they were sure would barely change.

"Indeed I am," Wallace replied, "It's obvious to one such as yourself that there was never a collapse in the falls as many claim, The truth is that Interpol has taken interest in a case related to what became of Steven, and I've been called to assist. Professor...If you would explain further."

Cozmo nodded, turning to the nearby monitors.

"Well, to start...Interpol hasn't quite found out what exactly caused the incident," he explained, "But when they learned of my recent findings, as well as those of Aqua and Magma, I was informed that an...Otherworldly Pokémon known as Nihilego is involved."

For once, the teams' leaders seemed...Confused. Interpol had been rather quiet about the Beasts, enough that this creature's existence was barely known, even to those observing the odd phenomena in Hoenn. At the very least, the mention of Nihilego meant that there was a sense of transparency in the room, a sense that finally, Wallace could speak about the mission in detail.

"...Ya can't be serious. A Pokémon, of all things?" Archie leaned in, his eyes narrowing into a deep, vicious glare as he once again bared his teeth. "Because if this one's true...Interpol's not gonna keep Aqua outta the falls. Much as they'd like to keep their pride, they've been runnin' 'round like wild Skitty out there if this's the best lead they've got...Isn't that right, Champ?"

"If I may," Maxie added on, "We're working on pinpointing the source of the signal. Team Magma is already deeply involved - We won't allow Interpol to interfere with our observation."

Wallace hadn't expected the two leaders to stay out of such a pressing matter. Giving a slow nod, they spoke up once more.

"While I intend to pass this information onto my superior," Wallace sighed, "I don't know how strong she is myself. She seems...Younger than the man serving under her, though. It'd be wise not to underestimate her."

Taking a breath, Wallace closed their eyes.

"I've already been briefed on Nihilego. I'll explain from the start."

"Ah...There's no need," Cozmo replied, "I've been provided with Interpol's files on the creature. I'll bring them out in a moment...Wallace, please keep an eye on them."

The professor stood up and walked behind Wallace, attention locked on the monitors for a moment before he added his own thoughts. Maxie hardly seemed affected by the professor's words - they knew what Aqua had done, and they knew what they'd have ordered their own team to do if given the chance. Archie, on the other hand, seemed to take offense at Cozmo's words, letting out a harsh snort before looking away.

"Looker struck me as the reasonable type." Cozmo's hands were a blur, moving across the various devices as he spoke with a shaky voice. "I can only imagine that his superior is no different. Now then, I - Ah...! Archie...I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this, but...If you'd come here for a moment?"

While Wallace remained seated and Maxie unmoving, Archie moved to stand beside the professor. Though he'd initially looked down at Cozmo with a look of disdain, his tune seemed to change in an instant after a few quiet words were exchanged. It was as if he'd leapt back upon hearing what had been said, something that, to Wallace, had sounded like a description of the Beast.

"Aye, it's the same thing!" he exclaimed, "Maxie! I'm afraid we gotta cut this one short - If what the professor'n Wallace're sayin's true, we're needed now."

"...I understand," Maxie quickly replied, their voice taking on a sudden urgency, "Courtney and Tabitha are already en route to Fallarbor - I'd originally intended the two of them to stay out of this unless absolutely necessary, but if the Beast is as destructive as we're to believe, the two of them may have to enter."

"...Professor..." Wallace looked between the three figures in the room as they spoke. "I hope I've done enough for now. I take it I should be returning to the falls?"

"You should," Cozmo replied gravely, "I've been given the information necessary to contact Anabel. If these readings are right, Nihilego is likely there at this moment. I'll be keeping in contact with your group."

Nodding, Wallace watched as Archie and Maxie exchanged a quick goodbye before Maxie's figure fizzled away and Archie picked up the Holo Caster, attaching it to his wrist.

When Archie attached a small earpiece to his ear, one not unlike the one they'd been using, however, Wallace knew he wouldn't be using such a thing in the falls.

"Heh...Never thought it'd go this smoothly," Archie mused, "Awright...Wallace. You're leadin' from here."

"...As you wish," Wallace replied, bowing, "I never thought I'd say such a thing to you, but...Thank you, Archie. Professor. Both of you and Maxie...Interpol owes you much for what you've done."

"Good luck." Cozmo turned back to the monitor in front of him, eyes narrowing for a moment. "...I could never have imagined...Steven Stone. Take care, Wallace."

Giving a final nod to the professor, Wallace stepped outside, gesturing for Archie to follow. The August heat hit Wallace's face gently as they looked towards the falls once more, hoping that this would be their final trip to the caves.

Sunset had taken hold of the sky.

This was it, they hoped. They'd fight the Beast. They'd find Steven.

They could feel their own resolve coursing through their entire body. They'd left that morning, slept until the afternoon, and finally, finally, night was falling. They'd spent the entire day making nothing but progress, and finally it was all falling into place.

They would make it out alive, and they'd bring Steven with them.

* * *

Wallace hadn't expected to see Looker at the entrance to the falls as they entered with Archie behind them. The man seemed to be seized by panic suddenly, and they could guess what this meant. Had Anabel…?

Archie simply let out a huff, clearly holding his tongue until the right moment seemed to hit.

"Looker," they began, "Is Anabel further in?"

Looker glanced to Archie, his eyes narrowing.

"Him. Is he not from Team Aqua?" the detective inquired, "...I will not question you, Wallace. Anabel is at the highest point...I was sent down to find you. She has been faced with Zinnia's Salamence, and I was forced to flee before my Gumshoos was lost to the battle. The UB has not shown up, but I fear it's around…"

Archie let out a harsh laugh at Looker's words.

"Ohh, I can get ya to change that tune of yours, matey," Archie said, amusement ringing through his words, "I'll take to the peak. She needs more power...She'll get more than anyone can handle."

"...Hmm...I have my own question," Wallace cut in, "I'd imagine a trainer such as Anabel would be able to handle a Salamence, wouldn't she?"

Looker nodded, turning to the waterfall that led to the falls' peak.

"No...It was more than a Salamence," he replied, "I have seen no one with the strength of my boss. If she cannot fight this one...Then there is more to the situation. She has said nothing...Please. One of you. The peak, and the new cave. Both seem to be occupied."

Wallace's eyes widened.

"You can't mean-! I'll take to there," Wallace quickly added, "Archie! I need you to assist Anabel while I look to the new cave. Looker, I need any information at all from you! I have a feeling...It may just be instinct speaking, but I think I know what lies in the cave."

 _Steven…_ Wallace thought, _Please, please be the same Steven I know, and please hold on...I'm coming for you!_

There was an air of agreement between the three - None of them doubted that Steven would take to such an area. If that was the case, Wallace couldn't shake the thought of Nihilego being present as well. Regardless of what happened, they'd be ready for a fight. There was a single problem, however.

"...Archie...Is your Crobat capable of flying under the cave rooftops?" Wallace asked, "Because that may be the quickest way to the new cave for me. If you'd be willing to-"

"Aye, there's no need to ask twice," Archie interrupted, "Ya need a flight, we've got you. And as for you, agent...Might as well have Maxie contact ya, too. We're part of this one now, like it or not. Ya best get used to us!"

Archie sent out his Crobat quickly, merely gesturing to Wallace as the bat Pokémon awaited the moment they climbed into its back. Wallace grabbed the Pokémon's shoulders, glancing back to the two they were leaving behind.

"...Good luck, both of you," Wallace sighed, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Don't ya fail us," Archie replied, "Now, Crobat...You know what to do."

"Indeed…" Looker continued, "I will leave you with this: Nihilego is not as strong alone. If you cannot run, separate it from its host and fight it. You alone should have enough force to ward the Beast off. Now, Riva...Do not fail us!"

Wallace couldn't get another word in as the Crobat whisked them upwards in an instant, dropping them atop a high, sheer cliff. The sound of the falls echoed through the rocky alcove, and the barren cave in front seemed to be completely silent.

Blood rushed through Wallace's ears, and their heart seemed to pound harder and harder by the moment.

This...This was it! Their long search was finally ending! A smile crossed their face as they stepped into the cave, not an ounce of trepidation left in them. Looker knew how to fight it. Separate it from the host. If it had truly taken Steven, they'd be able to tear it away from him and be able to take it down themself.

Suddenly, the world seemed to go silent, and a soft hum of realization echoed through the seemingly empty cave. Wallace could barely speak, especially when they turned the corner of a wide tunnel that snaked through the rocky cliffs, staring straight ahead at a familiar trainer clad in filthy, torn hiking gear.

"...I knew it...I knew it'd be you. Steven, it's me. I'm here to bring you home."

* * *

The roar of at least three great beasts echoed through the cliffs of Meteor Falls, though only two had emerged. Anabel was amazed she'd kept her own footing at such a time, especially when both a Salamence and Metagross stared her down, an Entei's blood staining the Steel-type's claws and a Latios's marking the body of the dragon. At the bottom of the cliffs lay the injured legendary Pokémon; Anabel had been unable to return them to their balls in time before the creatures had thrown them to the ground.

She wouldn't lose. She wouldn't let her Raikou be the next one down. She gripped the creature's violet neck fur as they carried her on their back, not speaking a word to her as they positioned themself to unleash another attack at the Pokémon ahead of them.

The Salamence charged forward from the air, and Raikou made its move - Letting out a cry like thunder, an electric blast was launched forward, a mass of ball lightning being flung towards the dragon as the beast Pokémon moved to dodge its attack. The Metagross seemed to still be trying to process the situation around it as Anabel and her Raikou turned to face it. The Salamence lay, briefly stunned, as Anabel whispered to her Pokémon.

"Raikou," she breathed, "How much more can you take of this?"

 _"The truth is...I don't know,"_ Raikou replied, their telepathic words heard only by their trainer, _"If neither Entei nor Latios could face these two, I don't know if I'll be able to take them out."_

"I agree…" Anabel continued, "Metagross seems to be...Fighting the Beast in its mind. Salamence hasn't gone down. We're stuck in a losing situation at this rate…"

Salamence immediately resumed its attack once it's recovered, not bothering with the Metagross that hovered nearby as it shoved the metal beast away, charging right towards Anabel and Raikou.

Raikou dashed to the side, not noticing that the dragon had turned to face them, and not noticing that it seemed to have snapped the Metagross out of its trance - In that single moment, the Metagross turned to the Pokémon and trainer, who had been backed into a corner suddenly.

They were in a losing battle...At that point, Raikou began to charge another thunderbolt in their mouth, hoping that the split second they had would be enough to keep the Metagross from unleashing another earthquake…

Suddenly, however, the Metagross turned away, a mechanical hiss emanating from it as a blur struck it.

"You...You get away from her!" a woman's voice hissed, "And give me back my Salamence!"

That couldn't have been-! She'd never seen her in the falls during the earlier investigation, but Anabel knew this was the person Wallace had mentioned. Zinnia! Of course she'd come to face her own Salamence! Raikou let out another roar as their attack collided with the Salamence, though the dragon's attack was still strong enough to knock Anabel away. Blood began to pool around her shoulder. No! Anabel cursed her luck as she looked back to Raikou who was now fighting the Salamence physically, slamming their paws on the base of dragon's long neck once it had moved in for another strike. They bit down closer to the dragon's head, keeping their bite non-lethal now that they knew its trainer was watching.

Incapacitate. Don't kill. Anabel couldn't remember when she'd been taught such an ideal when it came to rogue Pokémon, but it was an ideal that ran deep in her veins. She'd never let it go, she told herself as Raikou returned to her, positioning themself to shield her from attack.

Looking back, Anabel was awed at the sight behind her. Protecting her flank was a Noivern-mounted Zinnia, the great dragon exchanging a flurry of strikes with the massive metal Pokémon as it let out piercing shrieks, clearly attempting to disorient it. Noivern...They weren't meant for physical attacks. Anabel knew that much. It made it all the more impressive that the dragon could hold off a Metagross, of all things. Blue flames formed around the Noivern's mouth, and it unleashed a vicious pulse, enough to knock the Metagross back as Raikou slammed their body into the Salamence's.

"Sorry I'm late," Zinnia gasped, "Where's Wallace?"

"I don't know," Anabel called back, "I can't contact anyone until we've fended these two off! They can't be allowed to move down deeper!"

"All right, whatever works," Zinnia replied nonchalantly, revealing a Poké Ball in her hand, "Because I'm not leaving without my Salamence!"

For a single moment, the world seemed to go still. In the distance, Anabel could see another figure approaching. Salamence clawed into Raikou's neck, letting out another ear-splitting roar. Metagross slammed onto the ground, looking up at Zinnia as her Noivern prepared once again to attack.

Raikou staggered back, and Anabel returned them to their ball without a word.

"...Lucario," she breathed, "Come out! I didn't want to do this here, but it seems I have no choice…"

The Lucario emerged quickly, taking a fighting stance as a stone began to glow from within Anabel's pocket.

Zinnia only smirked as her Noivern let out another pulse, one that easily hit the bulky Pokémon below.

Anabel knew these wouldn't be the last two.

Her Lucario's fur lengthened, and uneven markings appeared in his fur.

Through heavy breaths, she gave her command.

"Stone Edge."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note:** hi i can't write action scenes but IT'S ALMOST OVER...next chapter will be the epilogue and then it'll be back to updating book 2! thanks for sticking with me!_

* * *

A Lucario's snarl echoed through the cave as the Pokémon leapt into the air, slamming down on the dragon below it. The Salamence screamed in pain as it was crushed against the rocks below it, blood dripping from the wounds. Finally, something had broken through the beast's thick scales. Zinnia didn't have time to look back to her beloved partner when the Metagross in front of her seemed to be on the ropes - A few more hits, and it'd be downed, Zinnia estimated. Unless, of course…

"Noivern," Zinnia commanded, "Get in close!"

That would _work_ if they could pull it off, and Zinnia...Zinnia couldn't afford to let her risks go unrewarded. Swooping down to face the Metagross, Zinnia's Noivern hardly had to listen to her command. Just as soon as the creature had raised its leg and prepared to dig its claws into Noivern's side, the Dragon-type let out a blast of darkness into the Metagross's face, a mechanical scream echoing through the cave as the massive Pokémon collapsed. Both Zinnia and Noivern couldn't move after such a moment. They could only watch as Anabel's Lucario exchanged blows with the Salamence, effortlessly parrying attack after attack and not caring about any injuries he received. Anabel was completely focused on the fight - Understandably so, considering how much she likely knew of the sheer power of Mega Evolution. With a swift punch to the Salamence's belly, the Dragon-type staggered back, hissing weakly. That was it...That would ensure Salamence's safety in the end! Not stepping off her Noivern's back, Zinnia gestured to her Pokémon, watching as a familiar figure reached the peak.

He said nothing. He only released a massive Sharpedo and stepped forward, his expression remaining grim.

"Hah...So that's it?" Archie breathed, "Ya can't tell me that's what gave ya so much trouble, 'specially considerin' what's down there."

Anabel looked to Archie, nodding weakly as she winced in pain, the gash in her shoulder grabbing her attention once again.

"Yeah, really," Zinnia replied, a mix of exasperation and relief weighing her voice down, "I can't believe they needed _you_ here. What, was the other guy not enough for this?"

"I can't believe Interpol wanted ya here either,"Archie hissed back, "When I saw that Latios, I thought there'd be more'n just this, an' seein' ya up here...I'd expect more from Interpol."

"Yeah?" Zinnia challenged, turning to Anabel, "What I wanted to know was where that other agent went. You got an answer, agent?"

Staggering towards the other two, eyes locked on the nearby Salamence as Zinnia took out a Poké Ball and returned the massive dragon to it - She'd never imagined it'd work on a possessed Pokémon like that - Anabel closed her eyes, her Lucario standing behind her motionless, observing the Metagross nearby.

"Looker," Anabel breathed, "Specializes in espionage more than anything else. He only has a single Pokémon...And it's not as strong as anything here. I can't...I can't imagine how that would end…"

A shadow loomed over the three.

"Agent…" Zinnia gasped, _"Agent!_ Archie! Both of you, _get out of the way of-!"_

In an instant, Zinnia's Noivern had shoved the agent away, only for the two of them to be pinned, the dragon's strength being the only thing keeping it from crushing them beneath its immense weight. The Lucario charged forward, fist slamming into the Metagross's leg with enough force to knock it away from the two it'd pinned. The restless cries of Pokémon, clearly _enraged_ Pokémon, began to resonate throughout the peak.

From the air, an Archeops and an Aerodactyl descended, clearly afflicted just like the Metagross and Salamence had been. Emerging from the ground was an Excadrill, and from the nearby caverns and crevices, an Armaldo and Carbink. The aerial Pokémon were quickly stricken by the charge of a Sharpedo, hardly a word spoken from Archie as his Pokémon began to let loose. The Excadrill lay in a defensive stance, sand beginning to whip up around it from behind a reflective shield formed by the smaller Carbink near it.

Anabel could only focus on her Lucario throughout the chaos. He'd still been beating the metal Pokémon down, his paws leaving visible _dents_. If that kept up…! Anabel let out a throaty cry as Zinnia took to the air, pursuing the creatures above as Archie faced down the ground-bound Pokémon.

"Lucario, no!" Anabel cried, "Stop! They've been knocked out! You don't need to-!"

Her pleas were lost on the Lucario, and all she could think to do was reach into her pocket and toss away the most important part of the transformation - _Her Key Stone._ As Zinnia exchanged blows with the Pokémon above, she _noticed_ what Anabel was doing.

"What is she-?! _Archie!_ " Zinnia called, her Noivern not letting up on her assault, "I know we've had it bad! I know-" Her Noivern struck the Archeops's side, leaving a deep gash beneath its thick skin and causing it to drop down for a moment. "I know I've done you wrong! But you _need!"_ A pulse emanated from Noivern's mouth, directly striking the Archeops's chest. "To stop!" As the Archeops dropped to the ground, Noivern turned to the Aerodactyl, which charged forward with sharp, open jaws. " _Her!_ Before she makes the biggest mistake she can! It'll wear off soon! Just _don't let her toss away her Key Stone!"_

By the time Zinnia had finished, Archie had stopped commanding his Sharpedo. The shark Pokémon had taken to tussling head-on with the Excadrill, sinking its fangs into the Pokémon's shoulder as Archie dashed towards Anabel, calling back to Zinnia for a moment.

"Aye, there's no need to say it twice!" Archie stepped between Anabel and the battle in front of her, noting that the Lucario had started to let up on his assault. "Agent. Ya new to Mega Evolution? There's no savin' that one."

"I have to…" Anabel gasped, "Please...I can still stop this. I can still…"

Lucario's onslaught finally ceased, and a silence suddenly hit the room.

Archeops had fallen. The Carbink and Excadrill had been immobilized, suddenly.

The Aerodactyl, however, fluttered off suddenly, its eyes going blank as something seemed to seize it.

Zinnia's Noivern finally landed. Archie recalled his Sharpedo. Anabel was breathing heavily into her headset. _She'd done this._ She had...She had _killed_ Metagross. She'd caused more than enough undue harm, and the only thing she could think of was giving away her Key Stone in order to prevent _more_ damage.

The world was quiet as Looker's voice began to hit her ear.

She could barely make out his words.

Her instincts were failing her. Even as she descended, Anabel didn't notice Zinnia taking the headset from her ear, or Archie dashing by in an attempt to join the fight himself.

"...We're on our way, sir," Zinnia replied, "Hold it off while you can!"

* * *

"Wallace…? It's been a while," Steven replied, as if he was simply returning from a lengthy trip, "How have things been at Ever Grande?"

Wallace took a step forward, reaching an arm out to their old friend.

"Yes, it has," they sighed, "Have you simply been caught up in your studies?"

Something seemed to click in Steven's mind as his mouth curved into a soft smile. He'd clearly had something on his mind, and Wallace had put the final piece in its place. However, it wasn't talk of stones that came from Steven. Not that time. Instead, his words came out quietly, far gentler than they should have as he seemed to reminisce on something.

He took Wallace's hand as he spoke.

"Yes...I've been studying a Pokémon," Steven continued, "I don't know what it's called, but it's clearly rare, and all I want is for it to be safe. It's a beautiful thing, you know. Like a living mass of glass...Doesn't that excite you?"

Wallace yanked their hand back and stepped back once again until they were a good few feet away from Steven. That was all the evidence anyone needed. This was no longer Steven Stone, it was Nihilego speaking through him. The Beast...It had dared to touch Steven, and that alone was enough to fill Wallace with, if only for a few fleeting moments, _white-hot anger._ It had _hurt_ him. It was going to _continue_ hurting him if nothing was done. Wallace glanced towards the corner they'd just turned, hoping they'd be able to retreat quickly if they had to. They knew the falls. They'd be able to escape.

They'd make it out alive. For _everyone_ involved.

"...Is that so?" Wallace asked nervously, "It sounds intriguing, to say the least. You've been in here for two months, though - Please, come back out. We miss you, you know."

Steven cocked his head, as if such a request wasn't _reasonable._

"I have everything I could want," Steven argued, "I don't have to leave so soon. Please...Please let me stay with this Pokémon! There's so much I've yet to know, and…! If someone is here! I've seen you here! I know who you're with!"

Steven's breaths had grown heavy as Wallace dashed back towards the cave's mouth, knowing full well there wasn't a way to save Steven as he was. Interpol would have to take care of things from there. They just had to lead him out, hope his instincts under the Beast's influence would do everything that had to be done…

Wallace released their Milotic from her ball.

Steven rounded the corner, eyes locked on his retreating friend.

"I wanted to ask if you were here to take it away," Steven gasped, "Are you? What does Interpol want with the falls?!"

"Interpol wants to protect you!" Wallace hadn't intended for their words to turn into _desperate pleas_ , but they'd found that their voice was being gripped by a sense of urgency. Steven...He had to still be in there. If Interpol could just take care of things…

"Please," Wallace offered, "We have no intention of hurting you or the Pokémon. We just want you out of the falls."

Milotic, however, had taken an offensive stance. She wouldn't move from in front of her trainer, her scales letting off a bright glow as she prepared to strike the moment she had to.

"...You've never been a good liar." Steven's words pierced the air like an arrow. "Leave. Get out of our cave. It's going to be back soon."

 _Back._ It'd be back. Immediately, Milotic turned to the cave's entrance, letting out a soft growl. Something seemed to be...Flickering outside, and it sounded as if something was _fighting_ out there. Hissing and otherworldly _shrieking_ echoed through the caves, and Steven's face immediately turned aggressive.

"Didn't I tell you?" he hissed, "Get out! Get out and leave us here! I don't need _any_ of you anymore! I need _it!_ "

"No…" Wallace replied coldly, "You don't need this. Did you ever think about what would come of disappearing for so long?! This _thing_ is playing with your mind, Steven, and I'll prove this to you...I'm going to take the Beast down. I'm sorry, Steven."

Steven's eyes grew wide. Wild. _Desperate._ He was clearly looking for a way out of things, a way to bargain with Wallace in hopes of making things easier on the both of them. He hadn't completely lost himself, had he? There was still something there...His curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he was paying for this. He wasn't gone. He was in there.

 _Somewhere._

"No...No, please. Wallace," Steven begged, "Please let me stay. I can't...I finally have something that's captured my interest. My passion for such things...It's finally come back to me. This Pokémon is what I've dedicated so much of my time, of my _life_ to, Wallace! I can't give this one up! Please, call off the attack! Something isn't right, and I need you to stop this!"

Wallace had already left the cave, and they stood watching the chaotic battle unfold beneath them. Down towards the entrance to the falls was Looker, and in front of him a Pokémon Wallace had only heard of - Was that a Gumshoos? It had no doubt joined his side in Alola...The Gumshoos had climbed glassy mass in the air, and was gnawing and hissing, trying to take the shifting matter below it. Looker's commands came out as gestures, ones that the Pokémon clearly understood. It leapt off for a moment, bounding across sheer cliff and propelling itself forward towards the Beast, sinking its fangs in and causing the creature to glow brightly, taking on another form.

No longer was it a shapeless mass. As it flung the Gumshoos to the ground beside Looker, it took on the shape of a mass of tentacles, marked by stars and still letting out strange chirps and screams.

Steven stepped forward, suddenly standing calmly beside Wallace.

He reached a hand out, and the Beast began to move towards the cliffs.

"Shh. It's okay. They're not going to hurt you as long as I'm here. All right?" Steven reassured, "Don't worry about them...You're strong. You can fend them off. Y...You can...They..."

Steven backed down and began to clutch his forehead, once again heaving out breaths.

"Th...They…" Something about Wallace's presence seemed to be aggravating the Beast - Immediately, it launched forward, letting out another screech as Milotic was barely able to shield her trainer. She was clearly winded from a single hit, and Wallace barely had time to recover from the hit as the Beast slammed a tentacle down on their ribcage, knocking them to the side.

"They... _Wallace!"_ Steven gasped, "Wallace! Hold on! Please!"

Wallace's nails dug into the cliff's edge - Was that how they'd go, then? Simply dropped off a cliff without a fight? They couldn't even reach for another ball, they were stuck dangling over the divide far below between water and solid, jagged ground.

Neither would be pleasant.

The Beast seemed to be _warping,_ contorting and disappearing into static before reappearing in spot after spot. Steven rushed forward, offering a hand to Wallace as he looked back to the Beast.

"It's...It's okay. I'm not gone yet," Steven wheezed, "I'm here. I'm here. I know you're here. I...Wallace...I can't believe you did this. You're here. It's fine. We can come out of this. Please talk to me."

"You look so beautiful," Wallace whispered, a sly grin on their face, "When you're such a mess like this."

The Beast continued to flicker above as Steven pulled with every ounce of power, hands around Wallace's wrists as he tried to fight the toxins rushing through his head.

Nihilego began to flash, and a screech from a Noivern echoed overhead. A vivid blue pulse of energy shot through the air, and Nihilego could only react violently. Rocks began to fly through the air, and Wallace felt Steven's grip loosening. Even with that, though, he'd pulled Wallace close enough to the cliff that Wallace was finally recovering on their own. Desperately pulling themself towards the top of the cliffs, Wallace had found themself halfway through, halfway to recovery, one knee above the cliff when the final flash from the Beast made it impossible to see.

Steven had let go.

A gash had appeared on his neck, and his back was turned. Wallace couldn't tell if he'd noticed what had happened.

Their hair tie had been cut in the flash, and they were left falling with their long teal locks flowing through the air behind them. The cool air of the falls was...Refreshing.

So maybe they'd been wrong. They couldn't tell if Steven had let go intentionally or not, they couldn't tell if Nihilego had knocked them away...They only knew that they'd hit something. They knew that _some_ part of them had taken a hit, but the pain coursed through their entire body. Was there blood, even? They could vaguely make out the smell of blood as their senses dulled and the familiar feeling of cool water beneath them hit. Their body began to hit rock after rock, and they swore they felt themself slipping further and further beneath.

As if they were being lowered into their grave.

They didn't know if they'd drowned when it happened, or if the strain their body had been put through had finally forced their eyes to close.

The world went dark.

 _I'm sorry I failed you all._

* * *

"Archie, don't!"

Zinnia's words came out too late as Aqua's leader leapt into the water below, diving into the tunnel that had opened. Wallace had gone through there, and Archie...Archie was hell-bent on saving them after everything. Was it atonement? Was it for the sake of the mission? Nobody could tell. The only thing that anyone could do was wait, wait through the longest several minutes of their lives before Archie's Sharpedo finally emerged, carrying his trainer in his mouth.

The Pokémon's grip was surprisingly gentle on him. Quickly, he was placed on the shore of the pool, allowing Zinnia and Looker to turn to him.

"No...This cannot... _Wallace._ " Looker was almost _speechless_ at the turn of events. Zinnia, however, was already examining Archie's body meticulously, hoping the barely-conscious leader wouldn't give her a hard time after everything.

Zinnia replaced the headset in her ear with the one Archie had been using.

 _"Archie?!"_ a familiar voice hissed, _"Archie! Respond, Archie! Now!"_

"I'm afraid," Zinnia replied, "He can't. He's...Wallace is...He tried to save them, and he's...Arrrgh!"

 _"...The Draconid…"_ the voice sighed, _"I should have expected you. There is no need to say any more. I'll call off my admins. If you must contact us...Magma would gladly welcome you after such an event."_

Zinnia barely _cared_ about the hospitality from Maxie. Wallace was...Wallace was _gone._ They'd been _lost,_ and if they weren't dead at that point, they were soon to be. There was no saving them. Nihilego...It was gone. So was Steven. So was the missing Aerodactyl, one that wouldn't recover from the venom in its system any time soon. Whatever had caused it to suddenly stop fighting and flee...She wasn't able to think about things. Everything was _numb._ Even as Anabel arrived and picked up her old headset, gesturing for Looker to follow her out, gesturing for Zinnia to get up as well...Zinnia wasn't able to process more than simple instructions. Wallace was dead. _Wallace was dead._ She'd failed to stop things, and they were _dead._

Salamence would be okay, but what sort of victory was that? She wouldn't be safe until somehow she'd been treated, but how long would _that_ take? _When_ and _where_ would this happen?

Zinnia slowly stumbled out of the cave behind the two agents, shallow breaths coming out of her as she thought back to her warnings. Her words to Wallace.

And for once, she could bring herself to speak again, without a hint of irony. Perhaps, even if she couldn't have saved them, she could wish them well in passing. She could send then one final message, even if they'd never hear it.

 _"...Ekana tyur ou kosou-en ki vind."_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note:** soooo not EVERYONE gets a huge part in the epilogue (sorry, Maxie, you'll get your time soon) but here it is! it is officially OVER! book 2's next chapter is on its way as well, so please look forward to that! thanks again for the support and staying with me for this little ride - I hope you enjoy everything i have in store, even with my current slow update speed. thank you so much for reading!_

* * *

A cool ocean breeze blew through Anabel's long locks as she looked over the deck of a ship, hoping Alola would be in sight before too long.

Four months had passed, and she could only imagine how much had been affected by the announcement. Magma and Aqua's higher-ups had known, even if they'd been asked to keep quiet about things. Zinnia had been mercifully silent regarding Wallace's presumed fate as well. It'd clearly pained everyone involved to stay that way, however.

The order to declare the Meteor Falls investigation a murder case had still made Anabel's blood run cold. A mere day after Steven had been discovered back in the same cave Wallace had found him in, a mere day after an agent discovered him collapsed, left there like a handout for Interpol before they'd sent him off to Aether Paradise, and suddenly Steven was to be tried for murder. Were her superiors simply swallowing their pride and admitting that the case was hopeless? Suspicion had taken hold of Anabel. All she could do was hold onto the Key Stone she'd sworn she would never touch again and hope that somehow, the case would end sooner than expected.

Metagross's death had been declared necessary. The situation had been called life-or-death for Anabel. With so many Pokémon present, Pokémon that had downed her team's best members, it had been stated that she was justified in her use of force. She'd never seen it as such, but she'd been ordered to keep her Key Stone even if she could barely hold onto it any longer.

She thought back to the people she'd talked to the day before. Back to Rhiannon, who had come out with a vicious hangover and cried through it all, more broken than she'd ever been. Back to the young contest star, Lisia, who had long since taken a break from the contest scene in order to grieve. Back to _Juan,_ and to, only a few hours later, Joseph, two men who had given her the same look of grief when she told them what the situation had been.

Steven's mind had died, and he was being tried for murder.

Wallace had been declared dead, with their body presumed to be lost at sea.

Latios had healed well. Raikou had never looked stronger. Entei wasn't recovering quickly, but they'd be back to their old self in due time, Anabel was sure.

Looker and his Gumshoos had been recovering nicely; unlike Steven's Pokémon, Gumshoos hadn't been a victim of Nihilego's venom, and though there had been concerns that the Beast had gotten to Looker, not a single test showed venom in his system. At the very least, the world had seen fit to show him mercy.

If nothing else, Looker and she would ensure that the Beast's influence on the world didn't spread further than it already had.

Night had wrapped the world in a soft embrace. It was good, knowing nobody was listening to her at that moment. She could even hear her own heartbeat coursing through her ears, a warm, gentle thumping of blood that seemed to serve as her only company at such a solemn moment.

She had known the job would lead to this. Nanu had told her years ago. He had mentioned his team. _Looker_ had spoken of those days, given her actual names, though perhaps not faces. She knew all the secrets of what had happened ten years before Moon joined the team.

Nanu had never had someone so young. She remembered his story. The youngest had been a girl of eighteen years, built like a bony Liepard and just as fast as one. Above her in age, the team's support. Their healer. She had never heard much about the healer of the team, and perhaps that was for the better, given how Nanu got when his name was mentioned. Above those two, still serving a lesser position compared to much of Interpol, was Looker.

Now, the position was hers, and the team was hers to build. She had her own young newcomer, she had Looker. All she needed was a third member, a healer, someone to keep the team alive when nobody else could.

She didn't want to drag Moon into things, but that would inevitably happen. She had been commendable when she captured the Beasts, even after everything she had been through. Looker had been right to seek her out after all that had happened, and though Anabel had her doubts at first, Moon had proven to be extremely strong despite her exceedingly young age.

And Looker...Where _was_ Looker, anyway? He was on the ship, that much was certain, but Anabel couldn't recall seeing hide nor hair of her subordinate since the two of them had boarded. Had something come up on the ship, of all places?

Shaking her head, Anabel decided it was best she retire to her cabin. It was nothing, it was all going to end up being nothing. Even with the stress that stabbed at every inch of her, she had to at least _try_ to rest.

Perhaps she'd be able to stop near Po Town while she was there. If there was anything Anabel needed, it was Nanu, someone who would understand the intensity of what had just occurred.

As she returned to the ship's interior, she swore she saw one of the sailors giving her a brief, intense look.

She dismissed this as nothing, as her mind playing tricks on her. More than anything, she had to rest. Hopefully, it'd prepare her for the long days ahead.

* * *

Sidney stubbed out a cigarette as Phoebe approached. She'd never been able to handle their old habit the first time they'd done it, and she certainly wasn't able to handle it once they'd started again. They shouldn't have done it, they should never have looked back and thought to do such a thing, but a few stress smokes had brought them down from their own inner turmoil, and they'd soon returned to their old ways.

They'd just about emptied a pack that day when Phoebe walked out of the League with a bag slung over her shoulder and a look on her face that said that this was something _big._ Sidney had expected no less from her.

Sidney turned towards Victory Road's entrance, knowing there'd be hardly anyone coming out of the cave when the situation was what it was. It left a bitter taste in their mouth, knowing that the tragedy months before had still affected the League so much later after Wallace vanished.

"...Guessing I can't stop you this time," Sidney sighed, "Well, good luck out there. I'm not gonna step away from the League with you here, but you've got my support."

There was an air of falseness to Sidney. They wouldn't say it to Phoebe, _never_ to Phoebe, but they wanted to blame Steven for everything. They could only hope she said nothing regarding it.

Lack of tact or not, Phoebe wouldn't dare let herself hear their true thoughts. She would _know._

"Well...Somebody has to go," Phoebe replied, forcing a smile, "I can't let things end like they did. I want to know what's going on. What made Glacia and Drake have to just _leave_ like they did!"

The sudden intensity from Phoebe caused Sidney to take a step back, a gesture that Phoebe returned as she quieted down.

"...I want the League I knew back," she admitted, "I know I won't get that, but maybe I can get something close."

She wouldn't get anywhere close, Sidney told themself. She could try. The League would carry its scars forevermore, and nothing would return to the way it was. At the same time, Phoebe's attachment to the past was understandable - She was still young, and hadn't matured to the point Sidney had. She was still in the chaotic throes of early adulthood, being tossed about by the waves of the turbulent ocean that life tended to be.

"Well, somebody's gotta be here for May's sake," Sidney chuckled, "I'll take care of the League while you guys're gone."

Phoebe took a few steps away before she turned back to Sidney. While she clearly intended to leave Ever Grande with the help of her Drifblim, she seemed hesitant suddenly.

"...Are you..." she whispered, "Are you going to be okay, though?"

Sidney turned towards the door to the League building as Phoebe released her Drifblim and let it carry her upwards. They didn't bother to look back.

They wouldn't be able to face themself if they did.

"I'll try, Phoebe." Sidney entered the building, letting out a deep breath. "I'll damn well try."

* * *

The waters of Sootopolis gently rippled, tossed about gently by the winter breeze. Lisia's eyes were pointed towards the gym, emptied for the past few months when Juan had needed time away. The hollow pit in her chest had only ached more with the announcement from Interpol that day. _Murder._ They weren't just looking to try someone for what had happened to her uncle, they were going to try _Steven._ Their longtime best friend, their closest partner, suddenly being tried for their murder.

In only a few days, Lisia had been left with nothing, and only Juan had ever been able to stand by her side in such times. It _hurt._ May was playing Champion for an all but dead League. Her own mother hadn't been on speaking terms with anyone after her reaction to everything. She had reacted _viscerally,_ and she'd all but rejected whatever help had been offered.

Lisia didn't want to blame her mother for anything. It was a loss that had affected the entire family.

Wallace's name had been enshrined at the crater's top, though as much as Lisia wanted to head up there herself, to visit the altar dedicated to the past leaders of Sootopolis, she couldn't bear the thought of facing what had happened.

In that sense, she was no different from her mother. She wouldn't let herself dwell on this, however.

She had to take one thing with her.

She had to return home, take the single Poke Ball that had been found near Wallace's body, and run. Lisia had no idea where she'd go or what she'd find, but she would run, take the matter of looking into recent events into her own hands.

The two of them weren't staying permanently in the city. Just in a small, temporary place, a bit dusty around the edges, a bit dark (nobody minded the lights being off, after all), a glass bottle on the floor somewhere, left empty and never cleaned up, and in the middle of it all, Rhiannon, her face not flushed for once as she looked out the window. Light filtered in against her face, and dust particles fluttered about. She didn't speak as Lisia walked in. She didn't have to say a word.

Lisia didn't speak either. She held Ali's ball tightly, hoping she wouldn't have to send him out for a battle.

At Rhiannon's feet, Uolae was coiled, clearly taking the loss as hard as her trainer. The Huntail looked almost devoid of life, staring out blankly and letting out thick, shaky breaths.

On the corner of the table in the room's center, a massive white slab that Rhiannon had leaned against, say a Poké Ball. Worn and scratched, even making Ali's ball look new compared to it, Lisia knew exactly what it contained. She was quick to take the ball and turn towards the door, only stopped by her mother's voice.

"...Lisia..." Rhiannon whispered, "Are you going to stay?"

"N...No," Lisia replied, "I'm taking Milotic with me...I'm gonna try to visit May in a bit, and I think she'll be good to have with us."

It was a paper-thin lie. Lisia had no intention of visiting May so soon, and Rhiannon was well aware. Rhiannon, however, turned towards her daughter with a smile, thin, dark lines of makeup running down her cheeks.

"I ask because Juan wanted to see you," Rhiannon continued, her voice considerably dull, "He's...Concerned."

"I...I see," Lisia murmured awkwardly as she turned away, "I'll be back soon."

It was the wrong thing to say, she knew it. Rhiannon needed her family. Lisia wanted to trust that Juan would be enough to keep her mother hanging on to life when she couldn't.

Taking Milotic's ball in hand and placing it in her bag, Lisia wondered if she'd be able to do one of the things everyone knew Wallace would have wanted: Returning to contests. The fact that Wallace hadn't made it out alive...She'd known it longer than anyone else. Her mother had certainly assumed this to be true before the announcement, but Lisia...She had known the whole time.

Taking her Pokénav Plus from her bag and sending out Ali, Lisia tapped a few buttons and selected the Match Call feature as she was lifted into the air.

"Hey," she began, "Are you coming to Sootopolis, or...?"

"I'm on my way," the voice on the other end replied, "Get to the altar for now. Interpol tell you what's going on yet?"

"Yep." Ali quietly dropped Lisa at the top of the crater, in front of a massive stone monument lined with numerous names of Sootopolitan leaders, a clean and rock-solid wooden gate in front and numerous wildflowers surrounding it.

There were numerous altars like it, each with a stone slab in front of the gate, meant for offering to be placed. The one Lisia stood in front of was simply the newest, and she could still make out the name carved into its front.

A Noivern descended from the gray skies above.

"Well," the woman atop its back called to Lisia, "Hop on. You and I've waited long enough for this one. We're going to Meteor Falls."

"Yeah...Right!" Lisa called back, "...Just...Just let me have another moment here. Please."

"Hey, it's okay. I know how that goes," the Noivern-rider replied, "Take your time here. We have time."

"...Right." Lisia approached the shrine, tracing her finger across the name that had been carved into the stone. This was her uncle, one of the few family members she had...And they were gone. She couldn't tell if it felt like Wallace was there with her as she stood, feeling every groove in the stone. It was unfamiliar, written in an archaic form of Sootopolitan, and though she had difficulty reading the characters, she didn't have to translate them to know it was her uncle's name.

It was unfamiliar, much like the feeling of loneliness that had taken over her.

And amidst it all, she had one person.

Lisia wouldn't let her hear it, but she whispered a few words before stepping towards the Noivern.

"Thanks...Zinnia."

* * *

"You're playin' with fire there," Archie snarled to the stranger that'd approached the entrance to Aqua's hideout, "What'd ya think'd happen after that battle...Guzma, you said it was?"

In front of him, standing shorter and with a hunched posture but not at all looking like they couldn't tussle with the best trainers, was a Bug-type trainer, one that almost struck Archie as an _expert,_ albeit not a formal one by any stretch of the imagination. The ocean behind them had originally brought to mind the question of what Pokémon could have taken him through the waters of Lilycove, but they'd proved to simply be using Pokémon that only Archie knew much about.

He'd recognize a Golisopod any day. As a child, he'd always wanted one, at least before he'd come across that small, injured Carvanha. This trainer was undoubtedly someone who had grown up in Alola, and somebody who knew little of Hoenn as a whole.

He would speak with them before any of his admins could.

The strange trainer straightened their back, looking into Archie's eyes with a steely glare. Their blood was clearly boiling after their loss, and the scarring on their knuckles had suggested that they'd taken losses much worse in the past.

"Shut up," Guzma spat, "Lemme guess - Archie? Whatever ya call yourself, shut up! I didn't come here to get my ass handed to me again! I came 'cause I heard there was a team here. Now show me your damn team."

Archie let out a quick breath, trying to hold back his own laughter. What was _this,_ then? A team? There had to be a reason for this, and judging by this person's demeanor, their Pokémon, the way they spoke about Aqua...Was this about an alliance? When Hoenn had just become the eye of the storm when it came to the Beast? Considering what was happening in Alola...

It was _rich._ At the same time, however, as Archie let out a booming laugh, much to Guzma's chagrin, he knew that Alola would be in immense danger, and even if this one seemed like a capricious sort of person, they were clearly seeking to strengthen themself (and whatever team was behind them, if any) in order to survive through such times.

"Heh...Bwahahaha! Oh, you've got some spine, ya scamp!" Archie shook his head, grinning ear to ear despite the clear rage brewing in the trainer in front of them. "C'mere. I'm guessing _you've_ got a team of your own?"

Guzma let out a huff as Archie gestured for them to follow deeper into the hideout, a few Aqua grunts exchanging glances and whispers as they passed by.

"Damn right I do." Their bravado was all too obvious. They were clearly bluffing, and Archie...Archie couldn't make the decision as to whether or not it was best to play along with such a lie. It was especially apparent when he looked to Guzma's arms, noticing deep purple streaks beneath what was obviously makeup, streaks that seemed to form some sort of insignia - They _had_ been with a team at one point, at the very least.

"...Aye, wait. Before ya go on," Archie interrupted, stopping in front of the first warp panel the two would have to take to make it to his quarters, "Your arms. Show me 'em."

Guzma smirked at this, taking a long set of nails to thin layers of makeup and revealing what they could of their old tattoos.

"Ya like what ya see?" they replied, "Skull's 'bout to make its first move in 'bout half a year, and I wanted to know if ya had any interest in comin' to Alola."

"Heh. With what Maxie'n I've gone through, we're damn well stayin' involved," Archie chuckled, though it felt like he was twisting the knife in his own chest, "I'm impressed ya got someone to put this on your arms in the first place."

"Heheh...I ain't keepin' track of how many times my ink gets infected," Guzma scoffed, "But if you're agreein' to the deal-"

"Not yet," Archie interrupted, "C'mere. We gotta talk this one out, and we gotta see how our other ally feels 'bout this. Once we've spoken of that...I'll see who I can't send with you."

Silently, the two vanished through one of the warp panels, the air between them still thick with distrust.

Archie wondered just how much of that distrust was his own, considering how Guzma seemed to be.

* * *

Gladion's hand was cramping by the time he'd finished the final note. Silvally had been peacefully slumbering nearby while the entirety of Aether remained silent about the former Champion - Not to mention possible murderer! - being brought into the medical wing of Aether Paradise. He was alone, suddenly, for one of the biggest events in the foundation's history, and already he was trying to route his way out of the place, if only for a day or two.

His back ached from the time he'd spent hunched over the smooth white desk he sat at, one that had looked pristine before his fingerprints had suddenly marred it. The Xtransceiver on his arm was suddenly ringing through the hollow study, and all he could wish for was a pair of headphones to try and drown the world out a little once again.

Reluctantly, he answered, knowing it was the same number that had given him the order to write the few notes he did.

"...President Blumenthal speaking," Gladion began, his voice like gravel, "What do you want?"

"Ah, yes...President," the agent replied, "I must be acting with discretion, as I fear somebody is listening. I have taken my place among the ship's crew, and must ask one final thing."

The man had managed to clearly disguise his thick Kalosian accent, but it was still very clearly him, at least to Gladion. To disguise himself as part of the crew based on a single suspicion...It was the sort of caution that he expected from a man of Interpol.

"All right." Gladion could hardly show any semblance of good manners when the night was as late as it was and when he had been forced to pen individual notes that would only be burned later. "What is it this time?"

"It is Steven. I have received troubling orders, you see..." There was clear regret in the agent's voice. "Steven Stone must not be allowed near his Pokémon. My boss...She does not wish this harm on anyone involved. However, our superiors have given their command."

To Gladion, such a thing was downright cruel. He hung up before the agent could let out another word, hastily scribbling on the order to each note.

Each note except one. He hadn't finished the final note, one of the notes meant for the staff of Aether. There was still one more person in the higher-ranking staff of the Aether Foundation, and this note...This would no doubt end up in her hands.

He gripped the sleek fountain pen in his hand with an unsteady grip between sweaty fingers, beginning to make one of the last notes he had to.

 _Stone has been brought to Aether to be treated for Nihilego venom. Due to the nature of the Pokémon possessing him, Stone may or may not recall his experiences while under Nihilego's influence. Care is to be taken not to aggravate him, as the lingering effects of the beast's venom may make him unpredictable before treatment is finished._

 _Stone is to be kept in solitude aside from brief nightly visits from our current Branch Chief. Should he need to leave his room for any reason, he is to be accompanied by guards at all times. He is not to have any contact with his Pokémon, even after being treated. Contact with him should be kept to a minimum until further notice._

 _The International Police will be arriving within the next few days to discuss the current state of affairs._

 _Upon the treatment's completion, Stone is to be returned to the Hoenn region to stand trial for the murder of Wallace Riva._

 _\- Gladion_


End file.
